We're Not Broken, Just Bent
by emiliciouslove
Summary: Abigail Jones carelessly threw away her happy ending leaving both herself and Lt. Kelly Severide heartbroken. Now, after the tragic loss of her father, she realizes what a mistake she has made. Is it too late or is the fire between them one that just can't be put out?
1. Chapter 1

"Well look what the cat dragged in," EMT Leslie Shay said bitterly as a woman about her age walked nervously towards the firehouse where she worked.

"Hi there, Shay," The woman replied, offering a weak smile. However, it was met with a frown.

"You shouldn't be here," Shay told her firmly.

"I know, but," The woman paused. "Is Kelly here?"

"He doesn't want to see you," Shay informed her. "But thanks for stopping by," Her sarcasm was obvious and as her partner, Gabriella Dawson, walked around the side of their ambulance she didn't look impressed.

"Shay, stop being so rude," She scolded before turning to the woman. "It's good to see you again, Abigail."

"You too," The woman, Abigail, said, smiling with a little more confidence this time "Do you know if Kelly's around?"

"Yeah, he's in his room," Gabriella told her. "I can take you there,"

Abigail was about to offer her thanks when Shay spoke up again.

"No, Dawson, I don't think that's a good idea."

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Severide is a big boy, he can decide for himself if he wants to talk to her."

Shay's disagreement was obvious, but she didn't protest as Dawson led the new woman into the firehouse. However, her glares could be felt digging into Abigail's back the whole time she was in sight.

* * *

The walk through the firehouse was comfortingly familiar to Abigail. She followed Gabriella, but the path they were taking was one she had walked hundreds of times before. Once they arrived outside LT. Kelly Severide's room, Gabriella stopped and turned to face the other woman.

"Good luck," She smiled. Abigail nodded and watched her walk away before taking a deep breath and knocking.

"Come in," A familiar deep voice replied. She cautiously opened the door and prepared herself for the worst.

"Hey there, Kelly." She said timidly. Severide had his back to the door when she entered, but spun around as soon as he heard her voice.

"What are you doing here?" He asked curtly, obviously just as happy to see her as Shay had been.

"I know I shouldn't have come, I wasn't going to, but I called and you must've changed your number. I-I just needed someone and you're the only one I have," The desperation in Abigail's voice was obvious and unusual, but Severide's face stayed blank.

"You don't have me anymore either," He said harshly. "And that was your choice, not mine."

"I know, but...I just," Abigail paused, fighting back the tears that sprung to her eyes. "Kel, my dad died."

A look of empathy flashed across Severide's face, but it was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

"I saw the obituary," He nodded, resisting the urge to comfort the distressed woman in front of him.

"I was hoping you'd call," She choked out, barely above a whisper.

"I didn't think it was my place or responsibility anymore," He explained. "But while we're on the topic of lost loved ones, Darden died a month ago."

"I heard. I'm so sorry, Kelly."

Abigail's response was genuine, but Severide didn't seem impressed.

"Where was my phone call? And I must've missed you at the funeral..." He said sarcastically, knowing that she hadn't shown up.

"I didn't think he'd want me there," She confessed, looking at the floor. "He must've hated me for what I did..."

"You left his best friend two months before we were supposed to get married so yeah, I can't say he was your biggest fan," Severide agreed. "But he loved you like a sister and you should've been there."

"I didn't think it would be appropriate, but I wanted to, I promise."

"Yeah, well it's too late now," Severide crossed his arms as Abigail shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

"I know," She mumbled. "I-I guess I really shouldn't have come. It was stupid of me, sor-"

Abigail's apology was cut short as the sound of an alarm filled the firehouse.

"_Accident on Columbus Drive bridge, ambulance 61, engine 51, truck 81, squad 3._"

Severide sighed and Abigail quickly moved out of his way as he opened the door.

"I can't be your support system," He told her, sounding bitter. "Your problems aren't my problems anymore."

His harsh words stung slightly, but Abigail knew they were true and simply nodded through the tears that were welling up in her eyes as she watched him jog off down the hall.

* * *

**Authour's note: So I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while now and it finally spilled onto the keyboard. I know this chapter's kind of short, but its sorta just a prologue to give everyone a little taste. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I'd love to hear some feedback to see if anyone likes it and if I should continue :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Abigail Jones was a strong woman, despite the tough obstacles that she had faced in her life. Her parents had divorced when she was five and unfortunately the divorce had been a nasty one, filled with brutal custody battles that left Abigail torn. She loved both of her parents equally so it may have been a blessing in disguise that she was too young to get any say in who she wanted to live with. Unsurprisingly, this meant that her mother got full custody. Shortly after, her father received a promotion and moved away from their home in California to the other side of the country, more specially, Chicago. As any child would, Abigail found it hard to say goodbye to her father, but visited regularly through her childhood and they remained close.

It was hard for Abigail growing up without her dad close by and it was even harder being raised by a single parent. Her mom worked long days which meant Abigail was left with a lot of time on her own. She eventually got used to it, but the loneliness was still tough for a child to grow up with. However, Abigail's life didn't really get rough until she hit twenty-two. After taking a few years off school to travel and figure out what she wanted to do with her life, she was just about to start university when she got the call that changed everything. Her father had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Knowing that he was going to need as much support as he could get, Abigail did what she felt any good daughter would do, she cancelled her plans to return to school and moved to Chicago.

Watching her father deteriorate for the next five years of her life had been the hardest thing she had ever done and her only saving grace had been a man she met almost as soon as she had arrived in Chicago: Kelly Severide. He helped her through the lows when her father got worse and he celebrated with her when her father seemed to be improving and the day he proposed was the happiest day of Abigail's life. However, the years of working through her problems on her own began to interfere when things with her father really took a turn for the worse and she did the only thing knew, she pushed him away.

And now, five years after she had met him, she found herself standing next to her father's grave wondering if she had made the biggest mistake of her life.

"I thought I'd find you here," The deep voice of the man she was just thinking about broke her out of her thoughts.

Surprised, Abigail spun around to face him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as he moved to stand next to her, staring at her father's grave. Abigail turned again, but kept her eyes on the man next to her.

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted at the firehouse," Kelly explained. "I was surprised to see you, but I was insensitive and rude."

"No, I shouldn't have come. You have every right to still be angry."

Kelly nodded, but didn't reply. The silence between them was awkward, but that wasn't a surprise. Abigail racked her brain for something to say, but came up short and Kelly was the one to finally break the silence.

"You look like shit," He told her bluntly. Abigail smiled slightly, knowing it was probably true.

"I guess I deserve that one," She joked.

"I'm not trying to be mean," Severide said, smiling slightly as well. "But it's true."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised," Abigail admitted.

"Are you eating?"

"Of course," She lied, subconsciously pulling her coat a little tighter around her body.

"Come on, Abbie. I know you better than that and I know how you cope with things," He reminded her. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Not that long ago, I promise," She told him, lying again.

"Okay, but why don't you come to the barbeque this weekend?" He suggested. "I'm sure the guys would love to see you again and there'll be plenty of food."

Abigail sighed and shook her head.

"Thanks, Kelly, but no. I can't...I shouldn't."

"Yeah, okay," Kelly nodded.

"Well it was, uh, nice seeing you again," Abigail said after another moment of awkward silence. "But I should go."

Without even waiting for him to say goodbye, she turned and began to walk away.

"Abigail, wait!" Severide called after her just before she was out of ear shot. She turned again and waited for him to continue. "What do you want from me?"

"What?" She asked, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"I wake up one day to find a note and the ring I gave you on your pillow, you don't answer any of my calls and then after a year of silence you show up at the firehouse while I'm on shift expecting comfort," Kelly recapped. "I was caught off guard and blew you off, but then when I come find you and try to do exactly what you wanted less than a week ago, you don't want anything to do with me again. What is going on?"

"I told you, going to the firehouse was a lapse in judgement." Abigail looked down, unable to look Kelly in the eye. "I know I shouldn't have bothered you."

"You broke my heart, Abigail." He admitted, causing a familiar wave of guilt to wash over her. "We had so many plans. We'd be married by now, probably trying to start a family, but you just ran away and disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving me with a shitty apology and not even a decent explanation."

"I explained," Abigail objected so quietly that Kelly wasn't even sure he had heard.

"No, you didn't. "I can't do this anymore. I love you, but the stress is too much. I'm sorry." Is not an explanation." Kelly argued, reciting her note word for word.

"Well, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I can't do this right now." Abigail told him, lip quivering as she spoke. "I shouldn't have come to the firehouse. I know that now. I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone from now on."

She turned away from him one last time and began to walk away. He protested, calling after her, but she ignored him and slowly let the tears fall as she wondered how she had let herself go from being surrounded by people who loved her to having absolutely no one in such a short amount of time.


	3. Chapter 3

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Abigail chewed on her lip nervously. The white sun dress she was wearing fit her perfectly and after putting on a little make-up and doing her hair she didn't look quite as sickly and depressed as she had before she had started getting ready. However, it wasn't her appearance that concerned her, it was what she was about to do. After seeing Kelly a couple of days before, Abigail was dead set against going to the fireman's barbeque. He had invited her and she turned him down, showing up anyway after their little argument would be rude. But the more she thought about it, the more her mind began to change. He had invited her after all, turning him down was rude as well and she was slowly convincing herself that going to the barbeque was the right thing to do.

A sigh fell from her lips as the battle in her mind continued. He'd always made her like this, right from the start. Being with him, or even near him, wasn't always the right choice, but there was something about him that made her weak. She needed him, craved him like a drug, and would do stupid things to get him. She loved him. Leaving him had been the hardest thing she had ever done, but even though she wished she hadn't now, she still knew that it was the right thing to do at the time. Her biggest regret was not telling him face to face. A note is a cowardly way to break off an engagement, but Abigail knew that she would never have been able to follow through if she had to look him in the eye.

After smoothing out her dress one more time, she made a decision.

"_I'll go, but just to see how he is. I'll blend in with crowd and he won't even know I'm there. If he looks happy without me, I'll leave him be._" She thought to herself before grabbing her purse and walking out the door.

* * *

By the time Abigail arrived the barbeque was in full swing. The kids were playing football, almost everyone had a beer in their hand and the smell of burgers made her stomach rumble. She saw Casey, Hallie, Dawson and Shay sitting at a table with a couple of people she didn't recognize, but once Shay noticed her and shook her head before looking back at her food Abigail averted her eyes. She had just spotted Kelly sitting at a table with the rest of the squad when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Herrmann said as she looked over at him. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm not even sure I should be," Abigail smiled. Herrmann had always been a good friend to her. She loved all the guys, but from the first time she had shown up at the firehouse in tears over her father's illness, Herrmann had taken her under his wing. Severide had been on a call at the time, but Herrmann had been a perfect substitute and after that he had become almost like a second father to her.

"Is that why you're hiding over here instead of joining in the fun?" He asked, taking another sip of his beer. Abigail nodded. "I hear you showed up at the firehouse the other day. You and Severide giving it another shot?"

"No," Abigail sighed. "I just needed someone to talk to about my dad. It didn't end well, but he invited me here a few days later."

"I'm sorry about your dad, hun." Herrmann said, squeezing her shoulder. "You holding up alright?"

Abigail shrugged.

"As well as could be expected I suppose."

"Okay. Well if you need anything, you just let me know. I'm sure Cindy would love to have you over for dinner." He told the woman beside him.

"That's very sweet. Thank you," Abigail smiled.

A comfortable silence fell between them as Abigail watched Kelly move from his spot at the picnic table to talk to Heather Darden at the beer cooler.

"We all understood, you know." Herrmann said a moment later, breaking the silence.

"What?" Abigail asked as Heather stormed away from Kelly.

"You had a lot on your plate at that point, we all understood why you called it off."Herrmann explained. "I think even Severide understood to some degree. He still has a lot of unanswered questions, but I think he gets it."

"Yeah," Abigail nodded, not sure how much longer she'd be able to keep her emotions in check if they stayed on this topic. "How is he?" She asked after another moment of silence. "Is he happy?"

Herrmann shrugged.

"He's doing alright," He told her. "The boys helped him through it at first, but he's been a little off since Darden. Mostly throws himself into work when he's having a bad day."

That was when a pretty brunette that Abigail had never seen before walked up to Kelly.

"Has he moved on?" She asked as he smiled and grabbed the woman a beer.

Herrman sighed and took another sip of beer.

"Before you, none of us ever thought that Severide would settle down. He had a way with the ladies and he knew it. After you left, he slipped back into his old ways," He admitted, but paused as Kelly obviously shut the girl down and walked away. "But that doesn't mean he's moved on. At least not with his heart."

Abigail nodded, fairly pleased with this information.

"Well I should probably get going," She said. "But it was nice to see you again."

"You're not gonna go say hi?" Herrmann asked, surprised she'd come and then leave without talking to him.

"Nah, I don't want to ruin his day," She explained. "Last time we talked didn't exactly end well."

"Okay," Herrmann smiled. "But it was nice to see you too. And hopefully I'll see you again soon."

"Yeah, say hi to Cindy for me." Abigail gave her old friend a quick hug before walking away before anyone else could see her.

* * *

**Authour's note: Thanks so much for all the reviews! :) This is the last part I have already typed up and with Christmas and New Years coming up it might be a while before I can update again. However, I will do my best to post something tomorrow night before I go home for the holidays!**


	4. Chapter 4

Almost a week after the fireman's barbeque, Abigail sat curled up on the couch of the two bedroom apartment she had shared with her father, drowning her sorrows in a tub of ice cream. She had made a decision about Kelly Severide and, no matter how much it broke her heart, she planned to stick to it. She was the one who had broken things off with him in the first place, coming back now and pulling up old feelings wasn't fair. She had to give him a chance to move on.

She knew it was the right thing to do, but it hurt anyway. After she left, things with her dad had gotten so hectic that she hadn't really had time to process what had happened. It wasn't until Kelly wasn't there to help her through the loss of her father that what she had done really hit her. Now that she finally had to face reality it felt like she was losing two people at once, her father and Kelly.

She had only managed to get halfway through the container of ice cream when there was a knock on the door. With a sigh, she dragged herself off the couch and after looking through the peep-hole, she opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked the man outside.

He went to reply, but was momentarily distracted as his eyes travelled down her body. She was just wearing one of her father's old sweaters, but it fit her like a dress and after recognizing the man at the door she hadn't even though to put pants on.

"You shouldn't answer the door like that," Kelly Severide told her. "What if I'd been a stranger?"

The slight slur to his words and the glaze of his eyes immediately tipped Abigail off to the fact that he was intoxicated.

"I knew it was you before I opened the door," She said, trying to sound uninterested. "Why are you here, Kelly?"

"I saw you at the barbeque." He informed her, looking sad as he leaned against the door frame.

"Oh..." Abigail muttered, now embarrassed that she hadn't said anything to him.

"Yeah,"

A silence fell between them which was broken a moment later by a sigh from Abigail.

"Why did you come here?" She asked. "The barbeque was almost a week ago and you show up now, drunk, wanting to talk about it?"

"I'm not that drunk," Kelly argued, his words followed by a hiccup that exposed his lie. "I got some rough news today, I deserved a drink."

"What news?" Abigail asked. She didn't want to encourage him, but she was intrigued. Kelly, however, just shook his head.

"It's not important," He told her. "What's important is that you came to the barbeque."

Abigail sighed again and opened the door a little wider.

"Come inside, Kelly." She instructed. "I'm not having this conversation in the hallway."

Kelly didn't say anything, he simply nodded and moved past her into the apartment. As she closed the door, he quickly shed his coat and turned back to face her.

"Why didn't you talk to me?"

"At the barbeque? I was going to, but you seemed happy enough hanging out with your friends and I didn't want to ruin it."

"No." Kelly said firmly. "I meant before, when you left. Why didn't you talk to me instead of just disappearing?"

"I told you. I couldn't handle the stress anymore." Abigail said quietly, repeating what she had written in her note.

"What the fuck does that even mean?!" Kelly asked, raising his voice. "What stress? And why didn't you just talk to me?!"

"I'm not going to discuss this with you while you're drunk, Kelly." Abigail informed him. "If we're going to talk, I want you to remember in the morning."

"I will remember! I'm not that drunk, Abbie!" Kelly insisted, obviously frustrated. "I just need to know what happened. Just give me a reason!"

"Not _that_ drunk is still drunk," Abigail pointed out. "And I'm not discussing why I broke off our engagement with you while you're even mildly intoxicated."

Abigail crossed her arms, trying to be stern despite knowing how easily he could sway her. A flash of anger crossed Kelly's face, but he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Fine. We can talk in the morning." He told her. "But I've waited way too long for some answers."

With that, Kelly turned and staggered down the hall towards Abigail's bedroom.

"What? Where are you going?" Abigail asked, walking after him.

However, he didn't reply, he just closed her bedroom door, leaving alone in the hallway.

* * *

Abigail woke up early the next morning thanks to a pain in her side. She adjusted slightly and rubbed her eyes as the memory of why she was sleeping on the couch came back to her. After Kelly had claimed her bedroom, Abigail was left with two choices. She could sleep on the couch or in her late father's bed. Seeing as she had yet to even face going into his room, the couch was the only option. It wasn't too bad at first, but after spending the last six hours on it she was feeling the effects.

With a sigh, she dragged herself up and headed to the kitchen to put the coffee on, knowing that Kelly would need some when he finally got up. His leather coat was still draped over the back of a chair and she smiled slightly when she saw it. It was always her favourite one of his, one she stole many times after insisting she wouldn't need a coat of her own. As she reached out, lightly tracing her fingers over the fabric, she heard her bedroom door open and quickly moved away from the jacket. She had just made it to the coffee maker when Kelly strolled in shirtless, wearing just the jeans from the night before.

"Shit," He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Abigail smiled, but avoided eye contact.

"The coffee should be ready soon if you want any."

"Yeah, thanks." He nodded. An awkward silence settled between them as Abigail busied herself finding mugs for them both and getting the cream and sugar ready. After watching her for a moment, Kelly spoke up. "So are we gonna talk now?"

"There's not much to say, Kelly." Abigail said, still avoiding his eyes. "My note kind of covered it..."

"You're note didn't cover anything!" Kelly protested. "That note was bullshit and you know it! You just said you couldn't handle the 'stress'. What were you stressed about? And why didn't you talk to me about it instead of running away?!"

"What was I stressed about? What do you think I was stressed about?!" Abigail asked, raising her voice to match his. "My father was dying, Kelly!"

"Your father was dying the whole time we were together! What does that have to do with our relationship?!" Kelly asked before repeating the question that haunted him most. "And why didn't you talk to me?"

"He got worse." Abigail told him. "The only reason I ever came to Chicago was to take care of my dad and I realized that I wasn't doing that. I was so focused on you and our wedding that I wasn't being the daughter I wanted to be. He needed me, Kelly, and I couldn't talk to you because I knew you'd talk me out of it. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave if I had to look you in the eye and I knew that I needed to go!"

"Of course I would've talked you out of it!" Kelly agreed. "Because you didn't have to leave me! I would've understood if you wanted to spend more time with your dad. I always supported you when it came to taking care of him."

"I know you did, but he got so sick," Abigail's voice got quiet as tears filled her eyes. Not wanting Kelly to see, she turned to face the counter. "How was he supposed to walk me down the aisle when he was being fed through a tube and couldn't even breathe without the help of a machine?"

Kelly was quiet for a moment as the real reason that Abigail left him finally became clear. As he watched her, trying to figure out what he should say or do, he noticed her shoulders begin to shake as she sobbed, clinging to the counter for support. Seeing her in such pain sent all rational thoughts out of his mind and he moved closer.

"Abbie," He said quietly, reaching out to comfort her. His touch just made her tears fall faster and as she struggled to catch her breath, Kelly sighed and pulled her into a hug.

She immediately buried her face in his familiar chest and slid her arms around his waist, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

"I'm so sorry, Kel." She sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"

"Shh, it's okay." He assured her, but the tears kept coming.

"I just miss him so much,"

"I know," He patted her back as she squeezed him even harder.

Her tears seemed almost never-ending, but after almost half an hour she finally calmed down. Pulling herself away from him, puffy-eyed and embarrassed, she sniffled.

"Uh, thanks." She said. "And I'm sorry. For that, and for everything."

She looked down, but he carefully lifted her chin, forcing her to make eye contact.

"It's okay, Abbie." He told her. "I understand."

Abigail suddenly became painfully aware of how close they were standing. She wanted to pull herself away as she knew she should, but his eyes were mesmerizing and all she could do was wet her suddenly dry lips. The action drew Kelly's attention and she saw his eyes dart down to her mouth before moving back to meet hers.

Before either of them knew what was happening, they felt themselves leaning closer. Their lips were hovering barely a centimeter apart, neither of them sure if they should take the plunge. However, just as Kelly was about to make a move, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Shit," He mumbled as he reluctantly let Abigail move away before answering. "Severide," He said as she turned and began pouring their coffee to once again keep herself busy. "Fuck, sorry. I'll be there soon." He hung up as Abigail turned to face him again. "I'm, uh, late for work."

"Oh," Abigail nodded, not sure what to say.

"Yeah..." Kelly scratched the back of his neck, amazed by how fast the situation had turned awkward. "So, I gotta go, but we should talk again soon." Abigail nodded again. "I'll call you."

Kelly quickly pressed a kiss to the top of her head before running off to find his shirt, leaving her confused and embarrassed, but filled with a strange feeling of comfort and hope.

* * *

**Authour's note: Hope everyone's holidays have been good so far! I'm still at home so updates might not be too regular, but I really wanted to post this part. As always reviews are greatly appreciated. I love hearing what you guys think! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Kelly Severide rushed into the firehouse that morning relieved to see that he hadn't missed any calls by being late. He went straight into the locker room, hoping to avoid Shay as long as he could. He knew she'd have questions and concerns about where he was the night before and he was already having enough trouble trying to get his thoughts straight without her interruptions. He seemed to be flying under the radar fairly well until he accidentally jarred his bad arm while opening his locker. In his frustration, he punched it which only added to his trouble as it drew the attention of Vargas who he proceeded to snap at. Knowing he had been way too tough on the poor guy only made him feel worse, but his mind was still reeling from the morning's events and he really didn't need anything else to worry about at the moment.

Fortunately for Kelly, the morning was fairly busy which meant he was able to easily avoid Shay and keep his mind from drifting to Abigail. That was until he found himself in the kitchen of an elderly woman whose garage had caught on fire that morning. There was a picture on her table of her and her husband and she had told him how they'd been together for forty-five years until her husband had passed away. After that, Kelly couldn't help, but think about what he could've had with Abigail as they drove back to the station.

Had she not run away, they would've been married for almost a year by now. Abigail had always insisted that she wanted to start having children while she was young so they had planned to start trying for a baby by their first anniversary. He pictured them living together in an apartment that was slightly bigger than the one they had shared before, a two bedroom so there'd be room for their child. He pictured coming home after a long shift at the firehouse to find Abigail cooking their dinner, her stomach swollen as his son or daughter grew inside. And as he pictured their life together, he got angry. After their talk he understood why she left, but he still disagreed. They could've found another solution, whether they had to postpone the wedding or move it forward, she didn't have to run away, but because she had the life that Kelly was picturing wasn't the one he was living. After seeing Abigail again and after holding her in his arms, he knew that was still the life he wanted, but he knew it was going to take a lot of work. Trusting her again after she had already abandoned him once was going to be rough and he still had a lot of hurt feelings that weren't just going to disappear, but he knew now that there was no way to deny that he still loved her.

* * *

When they got back from the call, Shay and Dawson were helping the Chief fix the TV. Glad she was distracted once again, Severide was just about to sneak through the kitchen when the news report on the TV caught his attention. Along with the rest of the team, he stood in awe as the brother of the one men they couldn't save in the last fire was bashing the chief for the call that he made. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but it was bad press and trouble that the firehouse didn't need.

As the news segment wrapped up, Severide moved to continue his escape, but the distraction had foiled his plan and Shay followed him into the hall.

"Hey!" She called after him. "Where were you last night?"

"I was out," He answered, turning to face her, knowing he wouldn't be able to escape her now.

"Yeah, I noticed that," Shay rolled her eyes. "Out where?"

"Just out, Shay," Kelly sighed. "It's none of your business."

"You were with Abigail, weren't you?"

"So what if I was?" Kelly replied, getting defensive as Shay's tone turned nasty.

"So what? She destroyed you, Kelly!" Shay reminded him. "One minute you're counting down the days to your wedding and the next she's just gone without a trace!"

"I know, Shay. Trust me, I know." Kelly assured her.

"But you're just gonna let her come crawling back now that she's realized she made a mistake?"

"It's more complicated than that," He insisted.

"So you're not back together?" Kelly shook his head. "But you slept with her?"

"No! I went over there after I'd had a couple of drinks and she wouldn't talk to me until I was sober so I crashed there and made her talk to me this morning."

"And that's all you did? You just 'talked'?" Shay asked suspiciously.

"Yes, we just talked." He nodded. "I know what she did to me and I'm not just going to forget about it all, I promise."

Shay nodded, but was obviously still not convinced.

"Okay. I just don't want to see you like that again, Kelly." She told him. "You scared us all a little when she left."

He was about to argue that he hadn't been _that_ bad, but he knew she was right and he knew she was just looking out for him so with a final nod, he turned and walked to the locker room.

* * *

It had been a long day for Kelly with Abigail on his mind the whole time and, after coming back from a call where she found out that her ex-girlfriend was now married and pregnant, he knew that Shay was also in need of a night out. It took a bit of persuading, but eventually he got her to go with him.

"So where should we go?" He asked. "Restaurant? Bar? Strip club?"

Shay sighed.

"Yeah, okay," She answered, obviously not really listening.

Kelly stopped for a moment causing Shay to stop as well.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah..." Shay replied, fighting back a few tears. "I just always thought she was the one."

Kelly's heart ached for her as he knew exactly where she was coming from. He was also at a loss for how to comfort her. The first things that sprung to mind were the typical "You're better off without her," or "You'll find someone better,", but he knew it wouldn't help. He also knew that coming from him after he had started talking to Abigail again it would seem hypocritical. Instead he settled for putting his arm around her shoulder and kissing the side of her head.

"Strip club it is," He smiled before leading the way.

* * *

**Authour's note: Thanks for the comments on the last chapter. Just wanted to give a little peak into Kelly's thoughts about everything and how he feels. Enjoy! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

The week after Kelly had spent the night at her apartment was an emotional rollercoaster for Abigail. She waited eagerly for him to call, but after two days with no word she slowly began to give up. It hurt, having her hopes dashed so quickly after they were restored, but she could see where he was coming from. However, there was part of her that refused to give up. They had so much history and after she had given him the answers he had wanted so desperately, he couldn't just leave her, could he? But she knew he could. She had left him not so long ago after all.

She was just about to give up hope completely when he finally called and that was how Abigail found herself sitting awkwardly in the booth of a diner. It wasn't one of his usual places, at least it wasn't when they were together, but he had requested she meet him there and it seemed nice enough. The woman who was working was just about to ask her once again if she wanted anything when Kelly finally walked through the doors.

She smiled at the sight of him and waved slightly to catch his attention. He returned the look and walked over.

"Sorry I'm late," He apologized. "I had to make a stop on the way here."

"That's okay," Abigail assured him. "I'm just glad you called."

Kelly nodded and sat down across from her.

"Do you want anything?" He asked.

"I could really use a beer," She told him. He nodded and waved over the woman behind the counter.

"Hey Kelly," She smiled. "How was work?"

"Good," He replied. "And Peter's doing really well."

The woman smiled at the mention of 'Peter'.

"I'm glad," She told them. "Now what can I get you?"

Kelly ordered them each a beer and the woman nodded before going to fetch their drinks.

"That's Peter Mill's mom." Kelly explained. "He's the new candidate."

"Is she the owner?"

"Yeah, he used to work here too until he got the job at the firehouse." Kelly told her. "But they have good food and great service so we figure it's good to support them."

"That's nice," Abigail smiled.

Another awkward silence settled between them. It was broken momentarily when their drinks arrived, but soon appeared again.

"So, uh, I'm glad you called," Abigail repeated as she sipped her beer, hoping to get a conversation started.

Kelly nodded.

"I just feel like I still have some questions," He admitted.

"Oh," Abigail's disappointment was obvious. Thinking back now, she wasn't surprised that there was more that Kelly wanted to know, but after the moment they had shared the week before she had hoped, and even assumed, that this meeting was some kind of date. "Right, of course."

Kelly took a sip of his beer, watching Abigail as he did so.

"I get it," He said after another moment of silence. "Things with your dad got to be too much and you couldn't handle planning the wedding at the same time, but I still don't understand why you ran away from me. We could have postponed the wedding for as long as you wanted, Abbie, I wouldn't have cared. You should have known that."

"It wouldn't have helped," Abigail argued. "It wasn't that I was too stressed out planning the wedding. It was more the wedding it's self."

"What?" Kelly asked, confused.

"When I found out that my dad had gotten worse, I knew that we'd have to postpone the wedding," She explained. "And then I realized how awful it would be just hanging around, waiting for the man who raised me to die so I could get on with my life and get married. I didn't want to put him through that and honestly, I didn't want to get married without him there." Abigail paused for a moment as her lip started to tremble. "He was so excited to give me away, Kelly, and to dance with me at the reception. He wanted to be a part of it all so badly, I wouldn't have been able to go through it without him there."

"I didn't care about the wedding," Kelly informed her. "I cared about you. We could've worked it out, you didn't have to run away."

"I know," Abigail admitted quietly. "I just...felt trapped. I needed to focus on my dad with no distractions and I thought you'd be mad. You spent all that time and money on the wedding. I couldn't face you, it was the easy, stupid way out and I'm sorry, Kelly. I really am."

Kelly nodded as he mulled over what she'd just said. He glanced out the momentarily as he gathered his thoughts before a sigh fell from his lips.

"I can't just get over everything," He told her, obviously torn about the decision. "I miss you, I miss us, but things are different now. I gave you everything and you just walked away from it all."

"I know," Abigail looked down, playing with the label on the bottle of beer in front of her. After taking a moment to compose herself she looked back at Kelly. "So where do we go from here?"

He shrugged, pondering for a moment before picking up his beer.

"To being friends?" He offered.

Abigail once again tried to hide her disappointment, but quickly realized that friendship was more than she deserved after what she'd put him through. So with a small smile she raised her own bottle and gently clinked it against his.

"To being friends," She agreed.

* * *

Later that night, after a couple of beers at the diner, Kelly walked Abigail home. At first she had protested, insisting that she didn't need an escort, but she was ignored. The city could be dangerous at night and Kelly wasn't about to risk letting something happen to her, especially not after he just got her back.

Conversation had been flowing a little more smoothly between the couple now, but neither could tell if it was simply because they had cleared the air and decided where they stood or if it was thanks to the drinks that they'd shared. Either way, neither of them were going to complain.

When they finally got to Abigail's apartment, she turned to face him as she pulled her keys out of her purse.

"This was nice," She told him. "I'm glad we talked."

"Me too," Kelly nodded. Not sure what to do now, Abigail awkwardly held her hand out for him to shake, but he chuckled and shook his head. "I dunno about you, Abbie, but I usually hug my friends."

Abigail giggled as he pulled her against her chest, but felt him wince slightly as she squeezed him back so she quickly let go.

"Sorry, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, just pulled a muscle on a call the other day," He assured her.

"Oh, okay." She smiled. "Well...have a good night,"

"You too," Kelly said, returning her smile before turning and heading down the path away from the building. Abigail watched as he pulled a small packet out of his pocket and after tossing a couple of what Abigail assumed was Tylenol into his mouth, she stopped him.

"Kelly!" She called out, causing him to turn around again. "I really am sorry about everything..." She told him one last time.

"I know," He smiled. Abigail nodded before waving one final time and heading inside.


	7. Chapter 7

The tension between Abigail and Kelly dissipated almost instantly after their talk that night at the diner. At first, Abigail was a little bit skeptical of his intentions. Plenty of people promise to stay friends after a break-up and part of her thought that Kelly might have just said that to spare her feelings, but he was proving her wrong. It had been almost two weeks since that night and the couple had hung out on several occasions. They kept things light and happy, not delving too deep into each other's lives, but the familiarity of being in each other's company was comforting while they both fought their separate battles.

Abigail was more than happy to have him back in her life in some way, but was careful not to push her luck too far. Knowing she still had strong feelings for him, perhaps much stronger than his towards her, she held back when it came to calling, texting and even suggesting they get together, fearing that she might seem too eager. She was in the middle of fighting with herself about whether or not it was too soon to call him again when his name popped up on the screen of her phone.

"Hello?" She answered, a smile on her face.

"Hey, sorry I'm on shift and can't talk long, but what are you up to tonight?" He asked, cutting right to the chase.

"Uh, nothing at the moment."

"Great, wanna come to a party?"

"Yeah, sure." Abigail agreed, pleased he had asked her. "What are we celebrating?"

"Dawson got suspended," He explained, only leading to more confusion on Abigail's part as usually a suspension was not something that was celebrated. "It's kind of a long story, but it should be a good time."

"Oh, okay." Abigail said, planning to get more details out of him later. "Where is it?"

"That diner we went to, the one the candidate's family owns," Kelly told her. "Any time after eight is fine."

"Sounds good," Abigail smiled. "I'll see you there,"

After exchanging a quick goodbye Abigail let him get back to work.

* * *

By the time Abigail got to the diner, the party was in full swing. As she kept her eyes peeled for Kelly many of the firemen that she had grown close to over the years came up, greeting her enthusiastically. The most enthusiastic of all was Chief Boden, who eagerly threw his arms around the girl, pulling her into a tight hug.

"It's good to see you, Abbie!" He said happily. There was a faint smell of alcohol on his breath and it became clear to Abigail why he was so happy to see her. It was good to see him let loose a little though. In all the time she has known the chief she had only seen him like this a handful of times and with a job as stressful as his, it must do him good to let his hair down.

"It's good to see you too, Chief!" She returned his smile. "How are you doing?"

"Really well. Especially right now, but most of the rest of the time too." He grinned before noticing her empty hands. "No drink? We can't have that! What can I get you?"

Abigail was just about to accept his offer when they were interrupted.

"I think I've got that covered, Chief," Kelly spoke up, holding out a beer to the woman he had invited.

"Of course," the chief smiled knowingly. "I should go mingle with the others."

He quickly left the couple alone and Abigail turned to face Kelly.

"Hi there," she smiled. "Thanks for the beer."

"Oh, no problem. You're behind anyway!" Kelly informed her before taking a swig of his drink.

"I can see that," Abigail giggled. "Everyone definitely seems to be enjoying themselves. But I still don't understand why we're celebrating Dawson getting suspended.."

"Well we're not really. We're celebrating the fact that she wasn't suspended for as long as she was supposed to be." Kelly explained. "She could've been suspended for a few months, but it ended up being only three days."

"Oh, well that's good. Poor Dawson though..." Abigail looked around for the woman they were speaking of, but couldn't see her.

"Yeah, she's still gonna lose money over the whole thing so we found that lovely piece of 'art' over there," Kelly gestured to the graffiti on the other side of the room. "And auctioned it to some weird art gallery and made almost enough to cover her losses."

Kelly's grin gave away how proud he was of what they'd done.

"Wow, Kel, that's really sweet of you guys," She told him before taking a sip of her beer.

"We have our moments," He replied with a shrug. "Now drink up! You have catching up to do." He encouraged.

And catch up she did. Once Dawson realized she was there, the shots were almost constantly being poured. Everyone joined in at one point or another, even Shay seemed to be feeling civil, but Abigail assumed it was thanks to the alcohol, not because she was forgiven.

An hour later, Kelly found Abigail and Dawson giggling loudly in a booth in the corner of the diner. More than a little intoxicated himself, he staggered over and flopped down next to his ex-fiancé.

"What chu girls talking 'bout?" He asked, his words slurred slightly.

"Oh you know," Dawson smirked. "Just girl stuff."

Kelly looked between the two women suspiciously.

"What kinda girl stuff?"

"The kind that's none of your business," Abigail teased. "But while you're here there's something I need your help with, but I'm not sure if it would be asking too much..."

"What is it?" He asked, intrigued by her vague explanation.

Abigail turned slightly in her seat so she could face him and, sensing that she was no longer going to be included in their conversation, Dawson slipped away.

"I really need to start going through my dad's stuff, but I dunno if I can do it all by myself," Abigail's eyes clouded with a few tears, but she fought them back well. "I was wondering if you would be able to help me?"

"Yeah, of course!" Kelly answered without hesitation. "I'm off this weekend, I can come over then."

"Really?" Abigail smiled as Kelly nodded. "Thank you so much, Kelly. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate this."

Kelly put his hand on her leg, just above her knee and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Don't worry about it," He said, his voice slightly deeper and more husky than it was before. "That's what friends are for."

Abigail was suddenly painfully aware of how close they were sitting and could feel the heat from Kelly's hand through her jeans. When he had spoken, Kelly had put emphasis on the word 'friend', but felt himself lean closer, only increasing the intimacy of the moment.

"Yeah," Abigail mumbled, leaning closer as well. "Friends,"

As soon as the word had left her mouth, Kelly captured her lips with his own. Abigail responded immediately, kissing him back with equal force. She hadn't realized how much she had missed his lips over the last year until this moment. They felt so familiar and the way their tongues tangled together so effortlessly was another reminder of how in tune with each other they had once been. As Kelly gently pulled her bottom lip between his own, a quiet moan slipped from her mouth, encouraging Kelly even further.

It wasn't until his hand moved slightly higher up her thigh that Abigail was pulled out of her trance. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly moved away.

"No, no, no," She mumbled more to herself than to Kelly as she gently, but firmly pushed him backwards until he was out of the booth. She slid out after him and was about to simply walk away when he grabbed her arm.

"What's the matter?" He asked, his disappointment written clearly on his face.

"I can't...We shouldn't..." Abigail stumbled over the words, wishing she wasn't saying them. "I'm sorry,"

Her final words came out as nothing more than a whisper and, without even waiting for a response, she pushed her way past a very stunned Kelly and ran from the diner and the curious eyes of his friends.

* * *

**Authour's note: Sorry it took me a while to post this! I was pretty busy with the end of the holidays, but hopefully the updates will be more regular again now :) Oh, and thanks so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate them.**


	8. Chapter 8

Abigail's hand was hovering over the doorknob of her father's bedroom door, as she tried to work up the courage to open it, when there was a knock on her front door. Surprised, but grateful for the distraction, she went to answer it.

"Hey," Kelly greeted her, smiling somewhat shyly once the door was open. Abigail froze.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" She asked as her previous task suddenly seemed like the less painful option. Kelly's smile fell.

"I told you that I'd come help you go through your dad's stuff..." He reminded her, hoping she hadn't forgotten about everything that had happened. However, based on her sudden upset at the mere sight of him, he assumed she hadn't.

"Yes, you did, but you also kissed me so I figured you weren't really aware of what you were doing," Abigail pointed out.

"I might've been a little drunk, but I knew what I was doing," Kelly insisted, slightly offended by what she had said. Abigail sighed.

"I appreciate you coming over, Kelly but I think you should go."

Without even waiting to hear his protests, Abigail moved back and attempted to close the door, but Kelly was too fast. Just before it had closed, he forcefully pushed it back open and stepped inside.

"Oh, yes, please come in," Abigail muttered sarcastically.

"I'm not gonna let you do this again," Kelly informed her, ignoring her comment as she closed the door behind him before crossing her arms.

"Do what?"

"Run away without a reason!" Kelly barked, his voice rising as his frustrations did.

"I had a reason," Abigail reminded him quietly.

"Yeah, last time you did, but now you're just being really fucking confusing!"

"I have my reasons this time too..." She insisted, looking down at her feet.

"Oh really? Well please share because I'm dying to know why all of a sudden you don't want anything to do with me again!"

"Because I can't just be friends with you!" Abigail yelled surprising them both as her voice finally rose to match his. Possibly due his shock and possibly due to what she had just said, Kelly stayed quiet for a moment and Abigail suddenly felt bad for snapping at him. "I'm sorry. I know that it's all my fault that we're not together anymore and it was my choice to leave, but I still have feelings for you and I can't just be your friend." She explained. "So I think, to prevent anymore awkwardness, you should just leave. We were stupid for thinking this could work."

Abigail hadn't meant to ramble so much, but once she had started she couldn't stop. Part of her was relieved to get it off her chest, but a bigger part of her was saddened by the last words that fell from her mouth and worried about how he would take them. Her worries only grew as he simply stared back at her, taking in what she had blurted out. However, just as she was about to once again ask him to leave, his face softened.

"Abigail, I kissed** you**," He reminded her, taking a step closer.

"So?" She asked, moving back slightly.

"So I think it's safe to say that I don't want to be just friends with you either." Kelly clarified, but instead of being pleased as he had assumed she would, Abigail sighed.

"You were drunk, Kelly. You weren't thinking straight."

"I knew exactly what I was doing," Kelly repeated. "Being drunk just gave me the extra confidence."

He smiled, but Abigail still looked upset.

"We can't do this, Kelly," She told him, her voice returning to the quiet, nervous tone it had earlier.

"Why not?"

Kelly's voice was low and huskier than it had been moments before, but as he leaned in towards Abigail, he was surprised to feel her place her hand against his chest and gently, but firmly push him away.

"Because you deserve better than me," She informed him, a slight waver in her voice the only hint that she wasn't altogether convinced of what she was saying. "And I don't deserve a second chance after how I hurt you."

"Shouldn't I get some say in that one?" Kelly asked, smiling again, but Abigail shook her head.

"No,"

At first, Kelly thought she was joking to tease him, but the look in her eyes quickly told him otherwise so, realizing that this was going to be a long battle, he pulled away.

"Okay," He said with a sigh. "But all that aside you need help today and you've said yourself that you don't have anyone else."

"I'll be fine." Abigail insisted. "I managed just fine coping by myself for the last year, this is just one more part of that."

"Abbie, I bet you haven't even opened that door yet," He pointed towards her father's bedroom. "You're gonna need help."

"I-" Abigail started to argue, but at the thought of going into that room her stomach was suddenly filled with knots. "Fine, but..."

"But it doesn't mean anything," Kelly finished for her.

Abigail nodded before moving past Kelly and walking back to her father's bedroom door.

Not wanting him to see how weak and anxious she was feeling, she didn't hesitate this time before opening the door. However, her brave face faltered slightly at the sight of all of his things. Kelly paused in the doorway, watching as her breath hitched in her throat and a few tears pricked in the corners of her eyes. His first instinct was to go to her, to comfort her like he had so many times before, but after the conversation they just had he assumed that would only make her feel worse. With a sympathetic glance in her direction, he settled for simply striding across the room and opening the window to get rid of the stuffiness while giving her a moment to herself.

"So he left everything to me," Abigail informed him a few moments later after she had composed herself. "But obviously I don't need or want all of this stuff, most of it's probably garbage. You can start at his desk and I'll start with the closets. Just ask me before you throw out any papers that look like they might be important or something I'd want."

Kelly nodded and they both got to work.

* * *

After the first half an hour of sorting through Abigail's father's things, the awkward silence began to fade away. The process was proving to be very emotional for Abigail, as they both knew it would be, but to Kelly's surprise, after stumbling across a shirt from Disneyland, she began telling him the story of when her father got it. After that, they continued on that way, sharing stories they had of her father, some brought up by what they found and others just fond memories.

Kelly was in the middle of telling Abigail the story of how intimidating her father had been when he had asked for permission to propose when he stumbled across something that made him trail off in the middle of his sentence.

"We'll don't stop there, I wanna know how a deathly sick man could possibly terrify the great Kelly Severide," Abigail joked, as she turned around, but the smile fell from her face as she saw Kelly holding an envelope. "What's that? What'd you find?" She asked, not sure if she should be concerned.

"It looks like a letter," Kelly told her.

"To who?"

"You,"

Abigail felt a lump rise in her throat, but quickly moved across the room to take the envelope from Kelly. With shaky hands she carefully tore it open before pulling out the letter.

"_My Dearest Abigail_," She read. The writing was not her father's, but he wasn't capable of writing towards the end so she was hardly surprised. "_If you are reading this letter that means that I'm not with you anymore. I know you are probably struggling, but please know that at this point it is for the best. This is no way for me to live and I feel I'm becoming more of a burden than a father to you. My only regret is that I'm no longer there to share in the many wonderful things that I'm sure you'll accomplish in your life, but remember that where ever I am, I'm watching you and I'm so proud.  
I do have my concerns though. I know you spent much of your childhood alone and for that I am sorry. Leaving you in California was the hardest thing I ever had to do. However, I know that because of this you've grown accustomed to coping with things on your own. This is a handy skill to have, but not always the best choice. For me, please don't try to deal with this alone. There are many places you can go for support and I'm sure several of your old friends would be happy to help.  
On that subject, I feel I owe you another apology. I'm not sure how much my illness influenced your decision to call off your wedding, but I'm not too blind to know that it was part, if not all, of the reason. I'm sorry for that because I've never seen you happier than when you were with Kelly and you two had a very promising future. However, all hope might not be lost there, Abigail. He loved you and I'm sure if you were to explain he would, at the very least, forgive you. To rid yourself of the guilt that I know you feel, you should try to get some closure. And please, if he does forgive you, accept it. There is no point in punishing yourself forever for something you did with all the best intentions.  
I love you with all my heart, Abbie, and nothing I could ever say would be thanks enough for what you've done for me these last few years.  
Love,  
Dad_"

By the time Abigail was done reading, tears were steadily rolling down her cheeks. She was so engrossed in the letter that she hadn't even noticed Kelly move behind her, reading over her shoulder. He gave her a minute to compose herself and process what she'd read before making his presence known.

"Your father is a smart man," He said, referring to the part of the letter that was about him. Abigail spun around, surprised by how close he was.

"That was private," She mumbled, not having the emotional strength to really be mad.

"I'm nosey," He told her, offering her a smile. "But he's right. I do understand and I have forgiven you."

Suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed, Abigail's eyes flooded with tears once again.

"But," She sniffled. "You should hate me."

"I did," He confessed. "For a while, I did. I was angry and hurt, but the anger disappeared and I was just sad. I missed you."

"I missed you too, but I don't deserve your forgiveness..." She insisted adamantly.

Kelly sighed, moving his hand up to brush a few stray tears off her cheek.

"Listen to your dad, Abbie," He advised. "You do deserve it and I've given it to you whether you like it or not."

Abigail managed a weak smile and subconsciously leaned against his hand. Taking this as a good sign, Kelly slowly leaned a little closer. Abigail realized what was about to happened and licked her lips nervously. Her tongue had barely disappeared back behind her lips when Kelly pressed his own against them.

At first, Abigail stood frozen, surprised by his actions, but as he persisted she relaxed, quickly leaning into him and returning the kiss. Even without the help of alcohol, it all felt as natural has it had a few days earlier and again, Abigail was comforted by how familiar it felt. However, now that her mind wasn't clouded she could feel something more in his kiss. There was lust of course, but it was much more than that. Kelly wasn't kissing her because he wanted to get into her pants, he was kissing her because he loved her and because he wanted to make her feel better like he had so many times before. After allowing herself to indulge in the sensation for a few more moments, Abigail pulled away. A few tears glistened in her eyes, but as they both stared at each other, breathing hard, Kelly figured he had nothing left to lose.

"Come over for dinner tomorrow night," He requested. "Please."

Abigail could hear a slight hint of desperation in his voice, but despite the building desire to forget about everything and agree, she hesitated.

"Kelly..." She started. "We shouldn't..."

Kelly winced. As much as he was expecting that response it still hurt.

"Please?" He repeated, practically begging. "I'm not saying we have to jump in with both feet right away, but just give it another chance."

After everything she had dealt with already, the look of anguish in his eyes was too much for her to resist.

So, as she chewed on her lip anxiously, still unsure of her decision, she nodded slowly. A smile burst onto Kelly's face as he let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

"Thank you," He mumbled before stealing another quick kiss. "You won't regret it."

Abigail forced a smile of her own, not quite as sure of his words.

* * *

**Authour's note: Ugh, I want to apologize again for how long this took for me to write. It seemed every time I had a spare minute to focus on this story, I got called into work :( However, this chapter ended up being kinda long so hopefully that makes up for it a bit!  
**

**Also, a big thanks to **GHJaSam4Ever **for reviewing! I really appreciate it and reviews always help with inspiration and motivation! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

Kelly paced anxiously as he waited for Abigail to arrive. He'd spent the whole day being torn between excitement, nerves and even a slight twinge of guilt. He knew that he hadn't forced Abigail to do anything, she had agreed to come on her own, but he did feel like he may have taken advantage of her emotional state. This worry only added to the pressure he was feeling as he now had to show her that, even if she didn't really want to come, she'd made the right choice.

"Worrying isn't going to make her come any faster," A voice said, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked over towards the stairs and saw Shay watching him, an amused smile on her face.

"I know," He said, offering a smile of his own. "But I'm nervous."

Shay nodded.

"I can tell," She teased. "Anyway I'm leaving now so you'll have the place to yourselves."

"Thanks," Kelly grinned. "I owe you one."

"Yeah, you do." Shay agreed before turning towards the door. However, she hesitated for a moment before turning back to Kelly. "Are you sure about this?" She asked causing Kelly to sigh. He had half expected her to ask that question, but he was hoping she wouldn't.

"Yes, Shay, I'm sure." He assured his friend.

"Really?" She pushed. "She broke your heart. I get that she had her reasons and I do feel bad for the poor girl, but who says she won't do it again? She's a flight risk if you ask me."

"Yeah, well no one did ask you!" Kelly snapped. Shay jumped at his sudden increase in volume and he felt bad. She was only trying to look out for him after all. "Sorry," He mumbled. "But I've thought about all the possibilities and I know it could end badly. This is just something I have to do."

Shay nodded, her face still giving away the worry she felt for her friend.

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure you know what you're doing."

"I do," Kelly assured her. "I still love her, Shay."

His voice was quiet, but Shay heard his confession loud and clear and a small smile crept onto her face.

"I know you do, Kel," She told him. "That's why I'm so worried."

Kelly smiled.

"You don't have to worry about me," He assured her, but was met with a roll of her eyes

"Worrying about you seems like all I ever do anymore," She joked. "But anyway, I'll get out of your hair before she gets here. Have a good night."

Shay opened the door as Kelly shouted a thank you after her and was met with Abigail, her hand posed ready to knock.

"Oh, hi," Abigail smiled, surprised to see Shay there.

"Hey," Shay replied, surprising Abigail by smiling back. "I was just leaving. Have fun."

With that, she moved past the other woman and disappeared down the hall.

Abigail took a deep breath to calm her nerves before walking through the door.

"Hey!" Kelly greeted her, a smile on his face as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a black leather coat, similar to his own, over a white strapless dress. It fell to just above her knees and clung to her in all the right places. Her hair was down and loose curls framed her face. "You look great," He told her trying to sound casual and hide just how good he really thought she looked.

"Thanks," She smiled. "But if you had plans with Shay, we could've rescheduled. I saw her leave when I got here."

"Oh, no. She lives here. I moved in with her after you left." Kelly explained. "She went out to give us some privacy."

Abigail nodded and an awkward silence fell between them.

"Oh!" Abigail exclaimed a moment later. "I brought wine."

"Great," Kelly grinned. "Dinner's ready, it's just keeping warm in the oven, so we can eat now if you're hungry?"

"That would be nice," Abigail decided as she pulled the wine out of her purse. "I am hungry."

"Perfect," Kelly said before turning and walking around to the other side of the island in the kitchen. Abigail followed and, after he passed her two glasses and a corkscrew, began opening the wine while Kelly took their dinner out of the oven. However, when he put it on the counter she began to laugh.

"When you said 'dinners in the oven' I assumed it was something you had made, not take out Chinese food!" Abigail managed to get out through her giggles.

"What?" Kelly smirked. "Did you really think I'd changed that much in the last year?"

"True," Abigail nodded, quieting her laughter. "And it's probably for the best that you didn't cook."

"It wasn't that bad!" He protested, but Abigail raised an eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure it was...you gave me food poisoning on our first anniversary."

"You could've gotten that anywhere!" Kelly insisted. "You have no proof it was my cooking."

"Yeah, okay. Keep telling yourself that." Abigail teased.

"Well I didn't cook tonight so be grateful." Kelly said, glaring playfully.

"Trust me, I am."

Kelly simply replied by sticking out his tongue before getting some plates out of the cupboard.

* * *

Dinner alone was almost enough to completely eradicate any worries Abigail had about agreeing to see Kelly. It didn't take her long to realize that he hadn't just bought them take out Chinese food, he had bought them take out Chinese food from her favourite place in town. She was touched that he had remembered and was also surprised by how easily conversation was flowing between them. She had gone expecting things to be awkward, but so far there hadn't been a single uncomfortable moment.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Kelly asked as he cleared away their dishes after the meal.

"Yeah, sure." Abigail agreed. "Do you want more wine?"

Kelly smirked as he walked back to the table.

"Abigail, are you trying to get me drunk?"

"No!" She protested with a smile. "I just wanna know if I have to share."

"If you want to drink all of that," Kelly gestured to the still half full bottle on the table, a smirk on his face. "Then go right ahead."

Abigail scoffed and filled both glasses once more.

"Now who's trying to get who drunk."

Kelly simply smiled and led the way to the couch.

"You can pick," He told her, his voice quiet and almost hesitant.

As he spoke, Abigail felt a slight pang in the pit of her stomach. This was their routine. It had been right from the beginning of their relationship. He tells her she can pick the movie, she declines and insists she doesn't care, but turns down all his suggestions until he stumbles on one she feels like watching. At first he had found it annoying, obviously she did care which movie they watched so why not just pick it out herself and save him the trouble? But over time it just became their ritual and her annoying habit became one that made him smile.

"No, you can pick," Abigail replied as usual, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. "I don't care what we watch."

Kelly smiled and went over to his and Shay's wall of DVDs. He listed off a few and Abigail turned them all down until he made a rather strange suggestion.

"The Notebook?" Abigail giggled. "Why do you own the Notebook?"

"I don't. It's Shay's." Kelly quickly explained.

"But you want to watch it?"

He shrugged.

"It's romantic, right? Don't chicks dig that stuff?"

"Ooh, I see," Abigail smiled. "You're trying to get me in the mood!"

Kelly threw his head back as a laugh fell from his lips.

"Trust me, babe, I don't need a stupid movie to get you in the mood."

Abigail smiled, shaking her head.

"You're such a pig," She teased. "But for that comment, I think we should watch the Notebook. Perhaps Noah can teach you some class."

"I have plenty of class," Kelly muttered as he reluctantly put the movie in before picking up his wine glass and getting comfortable on the couch.

* * *

After half the movie and finishing the rest of their wine, Abigail and Kelly were starting to feel the effects of the beverage. It had taken the edge of just enough that, simply in an attempt to get comfortable, Abigail had found herself curled up against Kelly's side and Kelly had found that his arm instantly draped it's self over her shoulder.

The two sat quietly as they watched until it got to the big kiss scene. It was then that Kelly broke the silence.

"I honestly do not see why everyone finds Ryan Gosling so attractive," He announced, completely ruining the mood. "He doesn't even look that a good kisser!"

Abigail pushed herself away slightly to look up at Kelly incredulously.

"Are you kidding me? That kiss won an award!"

Kelly scoffed.

"Only because woman all around the world are in love with him," Kelly argued. "Look at him, no technique at all."

The glint in his eye alerted Abigail to the fact that he was simply trying to wind her up so, with a smirk on her lips, she placed a hand on his chest.

"What, you think you could do better?" She asked, her voice lower than it had been moments before.

Kelly immediately pulled his eyes from the TV and looked down at the woman beside him.

"I know I could," He claimed confidently, matching her smirk.

"Is that so?" Abigail practically purred, but instead of gracing her with a response, Kelly pressed his lips against hers.

Expecting this, Abigail smiled and slid her hand up from his chest to behind his neck, holding him in place. As she let Kelly's tongue slide past her lips, he moved his hands to her waist before pulling her into his lap. Abigail pulled away slightly as she adjusted to her new position and caught her breath.

"You're right," She informed him, breathing heavy. "You are better."

Kelly grinned and opened his mouth, no doubt to make some cocky remark, but Abigail simply shook her head and silenced him with her lips. Kelly was more than happy with her response and groaned slightly as she played with the soft hairs on the back of his neck. He wasted no time letting his own hands wander, moving them from her waist to cup her bum and she gasped slightly as he pulled her forward against him. Encouraged by his actions, Abigail let her hips rock slightly as his tongue continued delving into her mouth, but she quickly became painfully aware that, due to how her dress had fallen, there was only a very thin piece of fabric separating her from the bulge that had begun to grown in Kelly's jeans.

"Kelly," She breathed, reluctantly tearing her lips away from his. "We shouldn't..."

Kelly sighed and rested his forehead against hers.

"I know," He mumbled, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry...I just got carried away."

Abigail smiled and nodded.

"I know, I did too." She carefully moved herself from his lap and settled back into her spot beside him.

Kelly shifted slightly, obviously trying to get more comfortable as Abigail rested her head on his shoulder and they continued watching the movie in silence.

Once it was over, Kelly glanced down towards Abigail to find that she had fallen asleep, the smile from earlier still on her lips. He couldn't help, but smile as well before carefully sliding out from underneath her only to pick her up and carry her up the stairs to his bedroom.

* * *

**Authour's note: Again, I'm sorry this took so long for me to post! I wrote it all out on my iPod at work and then my iPod died and I couldn't find my stupid charger.**

**Thanks for the reviews! And please keep them coming ;P**


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey, Chief!" Kelly shouted to his boss as he found himself running to catch up to him.

Chief Boden stopped, hearing his lieutent's call, causing Kelly to almost crash right into him.

"How can I help you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the unusual behavior.

"Well, uh, I realized that we'll be on shift this weekend and that its Thanksgiving and I was wondering if you'd mind if Abigail came?" Kelly asked.

The Chief seemed surprised by his request, but nodded slowly.

"Of course," He answered, drawing a sigh of relief from Kelly. "How's she doing?"

"Good. Really good considering everything," Kelly smiled. "But it's the first holiday without her dad so I don't want her to be alone."

"She's a strong woman," The Chief observed before returning Kelly's smile. "And you're a good man."

Kelly shrugged and insisted he was just doing what was right before the two parted ways.

* * *

That weekend Abigail found herself walking nervously towards Firehouse 51. She was definitely relieved that Kelly had invited her, the upcoming holiday without her father had been something she was dreading, but she was a little apprehensive about seeing everyone else. Sure, they had been nice to her at the party for Dawson, but it was hard to tell whether that was thanks to the alcohol or if they genuinely didn't hold anything against her for what she had done to their co-worker and friend. However, just as she walked inside, a call for the truck and ambulance came in and Abigail let out a sigh of relief. At least now she wouldn't have to face them all at once.

Capp and Hadley, two of Kelly's fellow squad members, were the first people Abigail saw when she got inside. Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, she called over to them.

"Hey guys," She smiled. "Is Kelly around?"

The two men looked up, both obviously surprised to see her. However to Abigail's continued relief, they didn't seem annoyed or upset.

"Yeah, he just headed into the kitchen." Hadley informed her.

"Thanks," She smiled again before walking through the doors next to the two men.

When she walked into the kitchen, Abigail was surprised to see Kelly helping a woman she didn't recognize unloading groceries, no doubt for the Thanksgiving dinner. As far as she could remember one of the men had made dinner so it seemed strange that this year they had brought in someone else. Deciding not to question it, Abigail approached them.

"I hope I'm not too early," She said, alerting them to her presence. "But you didn't mention a time and I figured I could find some way to be useful."

"No, you're not early," Kelly assured her, a smile on his face as he hurried around the counter to greet her, but when he was standing in front of her things got a little awkward. Seeing as they had yet to discuss exactly what was going on between them, neither really knew what an appropriate greeting would be. After a moment of uncomfortable shifting, Abigail decided to play it safe and moved in for a hug. Unfortunately, that only succeeded in her head colliding with Kelly's teeth as he misread her action and leaned in for a kiss. Abigail pulled back, her cheeks pink as she rubbed the spot where they had collided.

"Sorry," Kelly mumbled, still smiling. "Why don't we try again?"

Abigail giggled and nodded as Kelly gently lifted her chin to avoid any confusion before placing a short, but sweet kiss on her lips.

"Thanks for inviting me," She said quietly after he had pulled away.

"Thanks for coming," He replied. "Sorry this isn't a very romantic second date."

"I'm sure it'll be just fine," Abigail assured him. "Better than the alternative."

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd want to be alone."

Abigail nodded.

"Or go back to California and see my mother."

Kelly raised an eyebrow and was about to question her when Capp and Hadley came in.

"We're hungry," Hadley announced.

"So what food are we allowed to eat?" Capp added.

"Nothing over here," The woman in the kitchen informed them, looking up from the onions she was chopping. "Everything is for dinner tonight."

"And I brought pies," Abigail informed them, holding up the bag that contained the gift she was hoping would quash any ill feeling towards her. "But they're for later as well."

"You girls are cruel," Capp complained. "What are we supposed to eat?"

"I'm sure you can find something in the fridge," Kelly told his men.

"Or you could just save room for dinner," The other woman suggested.

Hadley opened his mouth to criticize, but stopped when a strange man walked in.

"Can I help you?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, just point the way to Chief Boden or whatnot," The man requested sounding rather disinterested.

"I'm Boden," The Chief said as he walked in.

"Dan Jenkins, Insurtech. I understand you have a situation here,"

The Chief confirmed what the man had said and Abigail immediately noticed a shift in Kelly's body language. The relaxed, happy man that was standing beside her a moment before had been replaced with a tense, almost nervous one and Abigail's suspicions only grew as he firmly gripped her hand and began to pull her towards the door.

"What about the pies?" She asked when he had almost gotten them through the door.

"Uh...just put them in the fridge and meet me in my quarters," He instructed her before pressing a brief kiss on her cheek and disappearing down the hall.

* * *

After doing as Kelly had told her, Abigail knocked on the door to his quarters before walking in. She found him sitting at his desk, still looking distressed, with this phone in his hand.

"Hey," He greeted her, forcing a smile.

"Hey," She said as she closed the door before sitting on the little bed. "That was kinda weird..."

"What was?"

"You scurrying away all shifty like that," She clarified, keeping the smile on her face to avoid rubbing him the wrong way.

"I just wanted you all to myself," He told her, showing her a much more genuine smile.

However, even after being apart for a year, Abigail could tell he was hiding something. She decided not to push him too far though and let it slide as she scooched back against the wall, getting herself comfortable.

"Well I'm not gonna complain about that," She assured him, but didn't miss how he seemed to relax as she let the subject drop.

Kelly spun his chair around to face her and kicked off his shoes before putting his feet on the bed next to her.

"So why didn't you want to go home to see your mom?" He asked, shifting the pressure to her.

However, his words were met with a slight giggle as Abigail raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted me all to yourself just to talk about my mother?" She teased. "You've changed, Kelly."

Kelly laughed.

"I'm trying to be a gentleman," He told her, nudging her leg gently with his foot. "But seriously, what did she do?"

Abigail sighed, regretting the comment she made earlier.

"Well, as you know, she never approved of my decision to move here to help my dad because in her crazy mind furthering my education was more important than my dying father," Kelly nodded, remembering all the times Abigail had come to him in tears over an argument with her mother. "And she was even more upset when she found out that I left you because she blamed my dad for the whole thing. So I don't know why I expected anything different, but I didn't have anyone else here in Chicago when my dad passed away so I asked her to come to the funeral , not for him, but just so I had some support."

"And she said no?" Kelly guessed. Abigail nodded and looked down at her hands.

"I really needed her and she couldn't put aside her anger towards him for one day,"

Abigail's voice had lost the lighthearted tone it had when she had first walked in and Kelly felt bad for bringing up something that he should've known would upset her. His guilt only got worse as she let her hair fall from behind her ear, hiding her face from him, a sign he remembered from when they were together. She was crying and didn't want him to see.

"Hey, hey, hey," He said as he quickly moved from his chair to sit beside her on the bed. "It's okay. She's always been a bitch to you, Abbie, and even though this is a new low for her, you got through it. Like you always do." He pulled her into his arms and felt her bury her head in his neck. "You're stronger than you know."

"People keep telling me that," Abigail sniffled. "But I don't feel strong. Not when I fall apart over something like this or when a commercial for his favourite TV show comes on and I have some kind of breakdown."

Kelly smiled and rubbed her back.

"That's normal, this is normal." He assured her. "You're still grieving, it's okay to cry and it's okay to miss him."

"I do," Abigail mumbled as she sighed against his neck. "I miss him so much."

"I know," Kelly told her before kissing the top of her head and giving her one last squeeze before she pulled away.

"Ugh, I'm sorry," She apologized as she wiped her eyes. "You invite me here for a nice dinner and I go all emo on you the second we're alone."

Kelly chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't mind," He said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I like being here for you. I've missed it."

"You always did know just what to say," She smiled as she found herself leaning in towards him. However, just before she got a chance to truly thank him for his comforting words, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Kelly cleared his throat as Abigail moved back, putting some distance between them.

"Come in," He called.

The door opened to reveal the man that had arrived shortly before they snuck away.

"You Severide?" He asked. Kelly nodded. "Fill 'er up."

Kelly nodded again as he caught the cup that was thrown towards him and the man left, but Abigail noticed that the tension had immediately crept back into Kelly's body.

* * *

Abigail sat waiting in Kelly's quarters as he went to fill up the urine sample cup, but fifteen minutes later, when the call for dinner came and he still wasn't back, she assumed he'd been distracted and figured they'd meet up in the dining room. She soon found out she was right when, after taking a moment to pluck up the courage to face all the firefighters, she saw him talking to the drug tester.

"I put it down and I don't know what I did with it," She heard him telling the man as she approached them.

Something about this whole thing was really starting to bother Abigail. Kelly had never been a great liar, but after all the time they had spent together she could always tell when he wasn't being honest and this was the second time today she heard him not telling the truth. Considering both times had been in some way tied to this drug test and the way he seemed to tense up whenever the man was around, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. She knew her leaving had been hard on Kelly, but there's no way he'd turn to that kind of cure for his heartache, was there?

Abigail quickly hid her worries for the time being though as Kelly spotted her in the crowd and put the cup on the counter before throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Hungry?" He asked, smiling down at her.

"Definitely. That turkey looks amazing." Abigail replied, forcing a smile of her own.

"Yeah, Peter's a great chef." Kelly informed her as he pulled out her chair. "It's really the only reason we keep him around."

The candidate shot his superior a look as Abigail giggled and the chief took his spot at the head of the table beside her.

"This is the best looking bird we've had in years!" He announced. "What are we going to name it?"

"Name it?" The woman Abigail saw cooking earlier, who she had learned to be Peter's sisters, asked as everyone else rolled their eyes at the tradition.

The chief explained and they settled on a name before getting to the last order of business.

"Okay, now we'll go around the table and say what we're thankful for," Chief Boden informed them. "I am thankful for a strong, healthy, hardworking team and all the effort you men, and women, put in each day." He said, starting them off. "Abigail, you can go next."

Abigail suddenly became painfully aware of all the eyes that were staring at her in that moment. She still felt like an outsider as she wasn't as much a part of the team as she had once been and she still wasn't sure how they all felt towards her, but after a moment of thought, she held her head high and answered.

"I'm thankful for second chances," She stated, shooting a glance towards Kelly. He smiled happily and placed his hand on her thigh before giving it a comforting squeeze. He was just about to continue the giving of thanks when Herrmann spoke up.

"On that subject, can we just take a moment to clear something up?" He asked, but didn't wait for a reply. "Is the happy couple back together?"

"Oh, uh, no!" Abigail stammered, suddenly feeling like her answer had been presumptuous and possibly put Kelly in an awkward position. However, as she awkwardly floundered Kelly had responded as well.

"Yeah, we are,"

The couple turned to look at each other, surprised by the other's answer and everyone else in the room could feel the awkwardness between them.

"We are?" Abigail asked quietly, her cheeks red with embarrassment as Kelly smirked.

"I think so," He said with a shrug.

"Are you sure?"

Kelly sighed as her question revealed that she still doubted whether she was deserving of his forgiveness. Hoping to reassure her, he leaned forward.

"Of course," He promised before pressing his lips against hers.

Abigail was shocked at first, not expecting such a display in front of his boss and coworkers, but quickly leaned into the kiss. However, they were soon forced apart by the cheers and applause of their audience.

"And everything's right in the world again," Otis teased as Abigail tried to calm the flush in her cheeks. "But can we hurry up with the being thankful, I'm hungry."

Kelly opened his mouth for the second time to share what he was thankful for, but was once again interrupted, this time by an announcement.

"_Squad 3, Truck 81, Engine 51, Ambulance 61, small residence fire,"_

The sound of groans from the disappointed firemen filled the room and Kelly kissed the side of Abigail's head.

"We'll be back soon," He assured her before following the rest of the men outside, leaving his new girlfriend with the few non-firefighters that were present and a smile on her face.

* * *

**Authour's note: For the millionth time, I'm sorry for the wait! I got super sick and didn't have the energy to do much but sleep.**

**Thank you so much for all the nice reviews! I really love hearing what you guys think :)**


	11. Chapter 11

"_Hey, what are you up to tonight? I just opened a bottle of wine and according to the grief pamphlets the hospital gave me, drinking alone is a bad sign._" Abigail texted Kelly, throwing in a winky face to assure him she was kidding.

It had been almost a week since Thanksgiving and the couple hadn't managed to find a moment to spend together. Whenever Abigail was free, Kelly was on shift and whenever Kelly wasn't on shift, Abigail was busy sorting out the last of her father's affairs. However, she now found herself with a free evening and as far as she knew, Kelly wasn't working either.

He confirmed this a few minutes later when he replied.

"_Haha I just got off shift. I'll go home and shower and be right there._"

Abigail smiled, pleased she'd get to see him, and quickly jumped from her spot on the couch to change.

She soon realized the task would be harder than anticipated though as she stood in front of her closet and fretted over all her choices. It took her almost fifteen minutes, but she eventually settled on a tight-fitting pair of yoga pants and a simple tank-top. She wanted to look casual since she'd just been lounging around at home and anything too fancy would make it look like she was trying too hard, but the yoga pants accentuated her butt nicely and the tank-top was loose, but low-cut enough that it showed off some cleavage. Once she was satisfied with her outfit she went into the bathroom to put on some make-up, but again being careful to make sure she didn't look like she was trying too hard.

By the time she was ready, she only had to wait five minutes for Kelly to arrive.

"Hey," She greeted him as she opened the door.

"Hi," He smiled, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "Did you save me any of that wine?"

Abigail giggled and led him inside.

"Nope," She joked. "You took too long. I drank the whole bottle."

"Sheesh, that is a bad sign," He teased as he followed her into the kitchen to grab a second glass from the cupboard.

"I know, but it's the only thing that numbs the loneliness," Abigail played along throwing in a dramatic sigh for effect. She heard Kelly chuckle and, as she stretched up to grab a cup from the top shelf, she felt him move behind her, placing his hands on her hips.

"And here I was thinking that was my job," He mumbled, his breath tickling her neck.

Abigail shivered, subconsciously leaning against him.

"Hm, I dunno," She mused. "Wine just has that magic touch..."

"Oh and I don't?" Kelly smirked as Abigail spun around to face him.

She returned his smirk before stretching up to press her lips against his, but just as his grip on her hips tightened and he increased the pressure on her lips, she pulled away.

"It's been a while," She whispered. "I might need a reminder before I can confirm that."

Kelly's eyes grew visibly darker as he realized what she was implying.

"I am more than willing to give you proof," He practically growled.

"Good," Abigail grinned. "But first, we need wine."

Knowing she was being a total tease, Abigail pulled herself out of his arms and practically skipped into the living room where their beverage was waiting.

* * *

"So how was work?" Abigail asked as passed Kelly his glass of wine before grabbing her own and curling up on the opposite end of the couch.

"Same as usual," Kelly shrugged.

"Saved the day and countless lives?"

"Of course," Kelly laughed before sipping his drink. "I did rescue a man from a tree after he had a heart attack."

"All in a day's work," Abigail joked, playing off how nonchalant he was about the whole thing.

"Pretty much," Kelly chuckled. "How was your day?"

Abigail sighed and took a rather sizeable sip of her wine.

"Stressful," She admitted. "I had to go to the bank and transfer his money and close his accounts and I just hate it. Every time I wrap up another loose end I feel like I'm a little bit closer to him being completely gone."

"He left you the money for a reason though," Kelly reminded her. "He'd want you to have it and use it."

"I know," Abigail agreed. "And that's why I do it, but it still bothers me. Hence the wine."

Kelly chuckled again and shook his head.

"As if you ever needed an excuse to drink wine."

"Hey!" Abigail protested, laughing along with him. "You make me sound like an alcoholic!"

"Well..." Kelly held up his glass which was still almost full before pointing to hers which was practically empty.

"I'm going through a rough time," Abigail informed him, a smile on her face. "I'm allowed. In fact, I'm going to have another glass."

"As long as I don't have to hold your hair back in the morning as it all comes back up," Kelly teased earning another giggle from Abigail. However, she simply stuck her tongue out at him before settling back into the couch, a full glass in her hand.

* * *

Abigail made a point to slow down on her wine consumption after Kelly pointed out how fast she was tossing it back as she didn't want to ruin their time together by getting drunk. Almost forty-five minutes later, she had only just finished her second glass when there was a lull in their conversation. She fiddled with the stem of her glass, enjoying the fact that silences between them had become much more comfortable.

Kelly, however, had other ideas.

"Why are you sitting so far away?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"I dunno," Abigail smiled. "It's comfy?"

"It's comfy over here too," He informed her before finishing his second glass of wine as well.

"I bet it is,"

"Come here," Kelly instructed, leaving no room for argument. Abigail sighed dramatically and put her glass on the floor before crawling towards him.

"Why?" She questioned.

Kelly smirked and pulled her onto his lap.

"So I can do this,"

With that, Kelly pressed his lips against Abigail's and pulled her close.

She giggled and leaned into the kiss, predicting his sneak attack as soon as he had demanded she move closer. The playful nature soon turned much more passionate and desperate though as the tension that had been building between them since they had agreed to give it another shot quickly crept back in.

A few moments later, Kelly pulled away allowing Abigail only a moment to catch her breath before he moved his attention towards her neck. Tilting her head back to give Kelly better access, she let out a quiet moan and, as he nipped gently at a particular spot at the base of her neck, bucked her hips against his and the bulge she felt growing there. Kelly groaned in response and, obviously encouraged by her actions, shifted them slightly so he could lay Abigail down on the couch, his lips pausing only for a moment before returning to hers and continuing their assault once they were settled.

Abigail squirmed beneath Kelly, enjoying the feel of his strong, muscular body above her. She dug her nails into his firm shoulders and desperately wished that the layer of material between her fingers and his skin wasn't in the way. Kelly apparently felt the same way about her shirt as his fingers danced at the hem for a moment before drawing it roughly up over her stomach and breasts, pulling her body up closer to his to allow it to slide off completely. Abigail was about to return the favour when Kelly's hands found their way to her breasts, pawing at them through her bra. A gasp fell from her lips as she revelled in the feeling of his hands on her body, a feeling she had missed more than she cared to admit.

Kelly also found himself enjoying the feel of his hands on her skin and he found the memory of all the little places that made her writhe with pleasure was quickly coming back to him. The quiet whimpers that kept falling from her lips spurred Kelly on and he let his hands gently glide down her stomach, smiling as he felt goose bumps rise under his touch. His fingers soon reached the top of her yoga pants, but didn't even pause before diving under the waistband and carefully tracing down the front of her panties. Abigail gasped in response, her hips moving upwards against his hand and he smiled before pressing his lips back against hers as he continued teasing her through the fabric. However, when he carefully pushed the panties aside for better access, Abigail pulled away.

"Kelly, wait," She practically moaned. Kelly stopped reluctantly, feeling his frustrations rise as he assumed, like last time, she was going to put an end to their fun. "I have a perfectly good bed for this."

Surprised, but relieved by her suggestion, he grinned before pulling his hand out of her pants and sliding it under her bum. Abigail quickly realized what he was doing and wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up from the couch and carried her towards her bedroom.

* * *

Once they made it into Abigail's room, she squirmed out of his grasp, stretching up to kiss him as she stood in front of him. Kelly pulled her close, but soon let his hands wander up her back to the clasp of her bra. With a simple flick of his fingers it came undone and Abigail let the straps slide from her shoulders leaving her naked from the waist up. Kelly's hands immediately found their way back to her breasts, squeezing them for a moment before taking both nipples between his fingers, twisting gently in a way he knew would draw yet another moan from Abigail's lips. He was right and, desperate to inflict some pleasure of her own, Abigail moved her hands to the hem of his shirt as he teased her.

As she slowly inched his shirt upwards, he realized what she was doing and reluctantly moved his hands so she could tug it over his head. Once it was removed, he moved to connect their lips once again, but as Abigail's breath caught in her throat, she stopped him.

"You kept it," She whispered as her hand slowly reached out to touch the ring that hung from a chain around Kelly's neck. It was her ring, the one he had given her two years before, on their fourth anniversary, and the one she had left on her pillow when she left him.

"Yeah, I did," Kelly nodded, moving his hand up to hold hers. "I was going to pawn it, but Andy talked me out of it, he said I'd regret it."

"Good ol' Andy," Abigail muttered with a smile, filled a familiar sense of guilt over not going to her friend's funeral.

"Turns out he was right,"

With that, Kelly leaned down and captured her mouth once again. Abigail returned the kiss with all the passion she could muster, filled with love for the man in front of her.

The tension between them was becoming almost unbearable and they wasted no time, quickly tearing each other's pants off before Kelly picked Abigail up and laid her gently on the bed. He then climbed on as well, nudging her legs apart as he settled between them, but as Abigail felt his arousal against her thigh, she pulled away from his mouth once again.

"It's, uh, been a while," She confessed, her cheeks reddening slightly. "So be gentle."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, a smile on his face.

"A while?" He asked. "How long's a while?"

Abigail's cheeks burned an even darker red as she answered.

"A year..."

"A year?!" Kelly practically shrieked in disbelief. "You haven't been with anyone since we were together?!"

"I was taking care of my father!" Abigail exclaimed defensively. "I hardly had time to go out to a club and get laid!"

Kelly kissed her again before pulling away and chuckling slightly.

"It's okay," He assured her. "I like it and I'll be careful, I promise."

Abigail nodded and tensed with nervous excitement as she felt him pressing against her entrance. With one hand on the headboard for leverage and one on the bed to hold him steady, he slid inside slowly as promised and Abigail drew in a breath as she waited for her body to adjust to his size once again. Once he was fully inside he paused for a moment, letting out a breath of his own as he resisted the urge to take her as hard and fast as he used to.

He didn't have to wait long though before Abigail began to move her hips against his and he took this as a sign that she was ready. He groaned quietly before moving as well, still being careful, but as Abigail bucked her hips to meet every thrust, he began to increase his pace.

With perfect precision, Kelly adjusted his angle just enough to hit that one little spot that drew a deep moan from Abigail's lips. As he thrust against it a second time, her eyes fluttered closed with pleasure, surprised to find her orgasm building so quickly and amazed that he could still please her so easily after all this time. As Kelly let out a moan of his own, Abigail opened her eyes to meet his, but found his eyes were closed as his face contorted with pleasure. She smiled, knowing that his orgasm was as close, if not closer than, her own and slid a hand up behind his neck to pull him down to her lips.

However, her action was met with a cry she was not used to hearing in a situation like his. He screamed out in agony and Abigail quickly let go, filled with panic.

"Are you okay?" She asked her voice filled with concern as both their hips stopped moving. Kelly nodded, moving his arm down from the headboard and leaning down to kiss her. Abigail moved her head though, still unsure of what just happened. "Are you sure? Beca-"

Before she could finish, Kelly thrust his hips against hers and her words were cut off by a moan. He continued his movements and Abigail was sufficiently distracted as a haze of pleasure clouded her brain. Allowing Kelly to ravage her lips as well as her body, she felt her orgasm building quickly and returned his thrusts desperately. Sensing she was getting close, Kelly moved one of his hands down to her clit.

"Kelly," Abigail moaned as he teased her for a moment. "Please,"

Hearing her moan his name was almost enough to push Kelly over the edge, but he held off, desperately trying to be a gentleman, and increased the pressure slightly.

Abigail threw her head back in pleasure, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath and with one last thrust she felt her orgasm wash over her. Her body arched against his and that combined with her tightening around his manhood was more than Kelly could handle and he felt his own release take over.

The couple clung to each other as they rode out their pleasure for a few moments before Kelly pressed his lips against hers once more and pulled out as he moved to lay beside her. She immediately snuggled into his chest, still panting and a few minutes later, as Kelly stroked her hair, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Authour's note: Hope everyone liked this chapter! ;) Sorry if it's not really up to par as far as 'mature' scenes go, but they're not my strong point. Fun to try though!**

**And thank you so much for all the reviews! Very motivating! haha**


	12. Chapter 12

Abigail woke up sometime later that night to find the bed beside her empty. At first she assumed she had slept straight through the night, but as her mind slowly woke up she realized that room was still pitch black, a clear sign it wasn't the morning yet. By the time she had come to this realization though her eyes had adjusted slightly to the darkness and she noticed Kelly sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand as he clenched and unclenched his right as if trying to regain the circulation.

Abigail watched for a moment knowing this had something to do with why he had cried out in pain earlier that night. She felt a brief pang of guilt as she hadn't meant to hurt him, but what she had done shouldn't have hurt and thinking back there had been a few other times when Kelly had reacted badly to a hug that was just a little too tight or tensed when her hands neared his neck.

Suddenly concerned, curious and desperate for answers, Abigail sat up and scooched across the bed towards her boyfriend. Pulling the sheet up to cover her chest, she sat behind him and carefully reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. He shivered slightly from her cold touch, but stayed silent.

"Kelly," Abigail started, her voice quiet. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," He insisted. "I must've just pulled a muscle helping that guy in the tree."

Abigail could tell this was another lie, but wasn't going to let it slide so easily this time.

"Really? Because I've never heard anyone yell in pain like you did earlier from a pulled muscle..." She told him, keeping her tone calm and not accusatory. She wanted him to be honest with her, not shutdown as she knew he would if he thought she was pressing too much. However, all her words drew from him was a sigh so she pushed a little further. "I love you, Kelly," She confessed quietly, feeling him tense beneath her touch as those three words left her mouth. "You can tell me anything."

Kelly dropped his head and Abigail stayed quiet as he mulled over her words. If he wasn't ready to talk to her, she wouldn't force him to. After all, she understood if he didn't feel like he could trust her the way he used to. However, just when she was about to give up, he spoke.

"I have a fractured vertebrae pinching a nerve in my neck," He admitted, his voice cracking ever so slightly as he spoke. "Basically I, uh, have a broken neck."

"Oh my god," Abigail whispered. "Kelly, that's awful. Are you okay?"

He shrugged slightly.

"It hurts, but usually it's not as bad as it sounds."

"It sounds pretty damn bad, Kel," Abigail told him. "Is there treatment for it?"

Abigail's question was met with another sigh.

"There's a surgery that can take pressure of the nerve, but..." Kelly trailed off, knowing that, like most people, Abigail wouldn't approve of his reasoning behind not wanting the treatment.

"But?" She encouraged after waiting for a moment for him to continue.

"But if I get the surgery there'll be follow up exams, paperwork involved, the department might not like how it looks and I'll be stuck on long term disability," Kelly explained, hoping she'd understand.

"And if you don't get the surgery?" Abigail asked, wanting all the answers before she came to a conclusion.

"My hand will get weaker, muscle atrophy will set in and eventually fasciculation," He reluctantly admitted.

Abigail froze as Kelly described half of the major symptoms of ALS, the disease that had just killed her father.

"Wow," She whispered, feeling the tears prick in the corners of her eyes.

"Abigail, I-" Kelly started, about to rationalize why he couldn't have the surgery, but she cut him off as she noticed a small packet on the bed beside him.

"Is this what you've been taking for the pain?" She asked, picking it up. He nodded as she looked at the little pills. "Holy crap, Kelly. These are hardcore narcotics!"

"I know," He groaned, expecting another lecture like the ones he'd been getting from Shay. "But it's the only thing that helps with the pain."

A sudden realization washed over Abigail and, despite all the horrible news she just heard, she felt a slight wave of relief.

"This is why you didn't want to take the drug test," She mumbled, more to herself than to him.

"Uh, yeah," Kelly admitted. "You could tell?"

"I think everyone could. You're not a great liar..." She told him, smiling slightly at his naïvety. "I was worried though, I still am, but..."

Abigail trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed by the conclusion that she had jumped too.

"But what?" Kelly prodded, curious to know what she had thought.

"I thought you might have started using, uh, recreational drugs to get over our break up," She confessed, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "I was gonna bring it up last night, but I didn't wanna upset you and chickened out."

Kelly chuckled.

"What, so I look like a meth head to you?" He joked causing Abigail to smile.

"No, you don't look like a druggie so I ruled out meth and heroin and you're too fit to be a stoner," She explained. "So I settled on cocaine. It would give you the energy for work too so it seemed perfect."

Kelly chuckled again and shook his head slightly.

"I promise that I'm not using cocaine," He assured her. "Don't worry."

"Well this is almost as bad," She told him, not comforted by his words. "It's dangerous stuff."

"I know,"

A silence settled between them as Abigail's mind raced with all this new information. With a sigh, she gently leaned her head against his neck and placed a soft kiss on his spine.

"You know," Abigail whispered, breaking the silence. "Seventy-five percent pay isn't that bad."

Kelly tensed beneath her and Abigail moved back, knowing he hadn't liked what she had just said.

"It's not enough though," Kelly insisted. "It's not enough for me to be able to take care of you or to raise a family!"

Abigail's heart fluttered at his words, but she pressed on, knowing the surgery was important.

"You don't have to take care of me, I have my dad's money," She reminded him. "And it's enough to raise a family, just maybe not as extravagantly as we had planned."

"Well money aside, what am I supposed to do with my time, Abigail?" He asked. "I'm too young to retire." That was a point Abigail couldn't argue with. She knew how much he loved his job and losing it would destroy him. Another silence fell between them, this time broken by yet another sigh from Kelly. "Look, it's late. We should get some sleep."

Abigail nodded.

"Yeah, okay."

She scooched back across the bed and waited as Kelly put his pills on the bedside table and got back under the sheets. Once he was settled on his back, she laid her head on his chest and cuddled into his side. However, a moment later Kelly felt a few wet tears drop onto his skin.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sliding his right arm around her shoulder and rubbing her back gently.

"Yeah, it's just..." Abigail sniffled, trailing off as she fought back the tears and took a deep breath. "I watched my father's body deteriorate and slowly kill him, Kelly. Please don't make me watch it happen to you too."

Kelly stiffened as she spoke and nodded slightly, taking in her words, but neither said anything else. And for the rest of the night the couple stayed like that, laying in silence, both unable to sleep. Abigail's mind raced with all the information and the pros and cons of Kelly's options and Kelly's heart was filled with the fear that he had just given her the perfect reason to run away once again.

* * *

**Authour's note: I've been writing up a storm lately and I've got lots of ideas all lined up, I just need to get them all organized and in order :)**

**Thanks again for all the reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

Abigail pulled up outside the firehouse early one afternoon. It had been a few days since she found out what Kelly had been hiding from her and, despite there being no real tension between them the morning after, Abigail had been thankful that his schedule had left them with very little time to talk since. However, now she had digested everything he had told her, she wanted to see him and discuss it some more.

She grabbed the box of cookies from the passenger seat of her car and quickly locked it before walking towards the building. However, as she got closer, she saw Kelly talking to a woman about her age and watched as the woman handed him a box of chocolates. Just as she got to the entrance behind them, the woman turned and got back into the cab that was waiting for her. That was when Kelly noticed Abigail and smiled, walking over to meet her.

"Well she was pretty," Abigail observed with a smile, curious, but not overly concerned.

"Was she?" Kelly smirked. "I didn't even notice."

"She was," Abigail informed him. "And by the looks of things she was flirting with my man," She gestured to the chocolates.

Kelly chuckled and threw his arm around her shoulder, leading her inside.

"She asked me out for lunch actually," Kelly admitted. "But I politely declined because she just has the hots for me since I saved her from getting electrocuted earlier. It happens all the time."

"And also because no one could ever capture your attention the way I do, right?" Abigail teased, knowing it was the real reason he turned the other woman down.

"Of course," Kelly smiled, pulling her close and kissing the side of her head.

* * *

"You remembered!" Mouch cheered, referring to the box in Abigail's hand which he had noticed as soon as she and Kelly walked into the room. When Kelly and Abigail were together it had become tradition that whenever she came to visit him at the firehouse she would bring a present for the rest of the guys. At first she brought a box of chocolates, but that caused arguments over who got which one so she settled on cookies so that it was fair and everyone was happy.

"Of course I did," Abigail smiled. "But what's wrong with you all? It looks like somebody died." She asked the question because of how troubled they all looked, but as soon as the last part left her mouth, she regretted it. They had a very high risk job and there was quite a good chance that someone had been killed on a recent call. "Oh god," She groaned. "Please tell me no one died."

"No, no one died," Kelly assured her, smiling slightly before getting more serious. "But, uh, Vargas inhaled some nasty smoke on a call and they're putting him on long-term disability."

Abigail shot a look sideways at Kelly, knowing that would hit home with him, but, assuming he hadn't told the extent of his injury to many people yet, she tried to be subtle.

"Poor Vargas," She said sadly before turning back to the other men. "Well I guess you're all out luck then because these cookies are off-limits and now belong to him."

"Hey now," Mouch said, looking at her sternly. "I'm sure Vargas wouldn't mind if one or two of them were missing," He insisted. "No one needs a whole box all to themselves."

Abigail giggled, but stood firm.

"Nope, it's the least I can do."

Kelly smiled at her thoughtfulness before handing Mouch the box of chocolates his visitor had given him.

"You can have these instead," He offered. "They're from the woman we helped earlier."

Mouch was satisfied with that and everyone turned their attention back to what they were doing before the couple had walked in.

"I'm gonna put these in the fridge where hopefully they'll be safe," Abigail told Kelly. "But then can we, uh, go somewhere we can talk?"

"Yeah, sure," Kelly nodded and waited as Abigail put the cookies away before leading her to his quarters.

* * *

"So what did you wanna talk about?" Kelly asked as he sat down on his chair leaving Abigail to settle on the bed as she had last time.

She did so before taking a deep breath, her eyes focused on her hands in her lap.

"Well, I, uh, went to see my dad's doctor today," She told him.

"Are you sick?"

Abigail smiled slightly at Kelly's obvious concern, but quickly turned serious again as she looked up to meet his eyes.

"I'm fine," She assured him. "I didn't go for me, I went to talk to him about you."

Kelly leaned his head back and sighed.

"Abigail, there's no point." He insisted. "This isn't something that's gonna go away with a second opinion."

"I know that," She agreed. "But I just needed to get all the facts, see if there was any way he could help you."

"And what did you learn?" Kelly asked, his tone conveying that he already knew the answer.

"There's no other options," She muttered, looking back at her hands. "Surgery's the only treatment."

"Exactly," Kelly sighed. "And this is why I didn't want to tell you. You can't go to every doctor in town, clinging to some false hope."

"I know, I just..." Abigail trailed off and picked at her nails for a moment before looking at Kelly once again. "So you're really not gonna get the surgery?"

"I don't know," Kelly admitted. "I told you what could happen and I'm don't think it's worth the risk."

Abigail's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but quickly fought them back.

"I know you told me what _could _happen, but do you know what _will _happen if you don't get the surgery?" The question was rhetorical so she didn't bother waiting for an answer. "The same damn thing."

Kelly's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What?"

"You'll end up on disability either way, Kelly." She clarified. "You won't be able to hide your injury once it gets worse, people will notice, hopefully before you hurt somebody and sure, you might get to stick around here for a few more years if you're lucky, but you'll still have to retire early. The only difference will be that you're arm will be damaged beyond repair."

Kelly's eyes darkened as they always did when they argued, but Abigail held his stare, not willing to back down.

"You don't think I know that?" He growled.

"Then why is this such a hard decision?" Abigail countered without missing a beat.

"Because this job is my life, Abigail!" Kelly argued. "It's all I ever wanted!"

"You said you wanted a family too," Abigail reminded him. "But you were worried about how you'd raise one on seventy-five percent of your salary and I was thinking, how can you raise one if you're disabled? How can you raise a family if you can't hold your newborn baby or teach your son how to throw a baseball because the muscles in your arm are too weak or won't stop twitching?"

"It won't get that bad for a long time," He insisted, but there was a definite uncertainty in his voice that hadn't been there before. As much as it pained her to make him see what he could lose, she knew she was getting through.

Moving from her spot on the bed, she carefully approached him and settled in the chair, straddling his lap. As he sat, confused by her actions, she gently stroked his cheek and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"And how will you make love to me if you're too weak to hold yourself up?"

"Ah, now the truth comes out," Kelly smirked. "This is all about sex for you."

Abigail smiled and gave him another quick kiss.

"No, but it's a valid concern."

"Well there are other positions we'll just have to try," Kelly shrugged. "I'm sure people with problems like mine have made it work before."

Abigail sighed, realizing just how set he was in his decision.

"But they don't have to be your problems, Kelly," She reminded him. "Not if you get the surgery!"

"And what if I don't get the surgery?" Kelly shot back. "Are you gonna run away again because 'you can't deal with the stress'?"

Although Kelly's question was not altogether unexpected, it still stung and Abigail winced slightly at his words.

"No," Abigail's voice was quiet, losing the confidence she had moments before and Kelly could tell he'd hurt her.

"Sorry," He sighed. "That was uncalled for."

Abigail shrugged slightly.

"No, it wasn't." She replied, her voice still quiet. "You have every right to be suspicious of me."

"I'm not suspicious of you." He assured her.

"It's okay, I understand," She insisted. "But I'm not going to leave you over this. I just really want you to think about the surgery. I know you're scared, but it's the best option."

"I know," Kelly nodded. "But I don't even think I need it anymore. I haven't been in much pain at all lately. Maybe you unpinched the nerve when you were so rough with me the other night."

Kelly flashed Abigail a smirk and she giggled.

"I was not being rough with you!" She denied. "But I'm glad you're at least feeling better."

"Me too," Kelly settled his hands on her hips. "And I even got rid of those painkillers."

Abigail sighed, visibly relieved by this information.

"Good, Kelly, that's great." Abigail pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "I was worried, those things are nasty."

"I know," Kelly nodded. "But you don't have to worry. I'm fine."

"You're far from fine." Abigail scoffed. "But this is improvement and I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Kelly smiled and kissed her again, his grip tightening on her hips.

Abigail returned the kiss, but pulled back far sooner than Kelly had intended.

"Just...don't let the lack of pain trick you into the thinking the problem's gone," She pleaded. "Don't rule out the surgery."

"I haven't ruled it out," He promised. "I'm just still thinking about it,"

"Good," Abigail nodded, accepting his answer for now considering he had seemed so completely against it the last time they spoke.

"Now, where we were," Kelly mumbled before pressing his lips back against hers. She giggled, but returned the kiss again and when he pulled away a few moments later, there was another smirk on his lips. "You know, if you were wearing a skirt we could try some of those new positions right now..."

His voice was low and his thumbs slipped just under the hem of her shirt, tracing light circles on her skin.

"Mmm," Abigail moaned quietly, trying to fight Kelly's advances, but as his lips pressed against her neck she knew resistance was futile. "We should at least move to the bed..."

"But I want you right here," Kelly's voice rumbled in Abigail's ear as his breath tickled her neck. "Right now."

Abigail was just about to point out that she'd have to move anyway to get out of her jeans when a knock at the door interrupted them.

"Severide," The Chief called through the door. "I need a word."

"Uhoh, has someone been bad?" Abigail whispered referring to the harsh tone the Chief had used.

Kelly assured the Chief he'd meet him in his office in just a moment before reluctantly sliding Abigail from his lap.

"Yeah," Kelly admitted sheepishly. "I kinda lost it at this kid, but he's a total firebug!"

"Then why does Boden care?"

"Because I may have yelled at him too..."

Abigail sighed before flopping backwards onto Kelly's bed.

"Okay, go get scolded." She told him, a smile on her lips. "And I'll be waiting right here for you to come back and ravish me while you still can."

Kelly was about to argue that she was being a touch dramatic, but the wink she threw in at the end was enough to distract him. In fact, it was almost enough for him to ignore the Chief completely and finish what he had started, but knowing there would be consequences for that, he simply shook his head before practically running out of his quarters, wanting to get his lecture over with as soon as possible.

* * *

**Authour's note: I was going to post this yesterday, but I got carried away writing the next chapter (but that's not really a bad thing...right? ;] ) and then when I went to edit this, I felt there was a lot of work needed and I'm still not entirely in love with it, but I can't pinpoint why so I decided not to make you guys wait any longer...especially after the lovely reviews! I love you guys, seriously. Thank you so much for the support! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

One night, not long after Abigail had confronted Kelly at the station, she was sitting in front of her computer doing more research on her boyfriend's problem, desperately hoping to find some way to help him. It was beginning to seem useless though and she was just about to give up and make dinner when there was a knock at the door. Knowing who it was simply by the way he had knocked, she quickly shut her laptop before answering.

"Hey," She smiled at Kelly who was standing in front of her dressed very nicely and holding a rather extravagant bouquet. "I thought you didn't get off until tomorrow morning?"

"I struck up a deal with the chief to get tonight off," He smiled, handing her the flowers.

Abigail took them, raising an eyebrow at Kelly.

"Thanks," She said suspiciously. "But what's going on?"

Kelly followed her into the kitchen, a smile still plastered on his face.

"It's our anniversary," He informed her. "Well...kinda. I know we haven't really been together for the last year so it doesn't really count, but I figure it's still worth celebrating."

Abigail pulled a vase down from a cupboard and filled it with water.

"But our anniversary isn't until December..." Abigail trailed off as she realized what day it was and suddenly felt like an idiot. "14th...which is today." She concluded.

"Yes, it is." Kelly confirmed

"Shit, I totally forgot, I'm so sorry." Abigail apologized, feeling like the worst girlfriend ever. "You should've reminded me..."

"That's okay. As I said, it doesn't really count this year anyway," Kelly shrugged. "And I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I didn't get you anything..." Abigail admitted, feeling guilty.

"Doesn't matter," Kelly assured her. "Now go make yourself look pretty, I'll finish with these." He instructed, picking up the flowers.

"Okay," Abigail pressed a kiss to lips before running off to her room.

* * *

Kelly checked his watched as he waited on the couch for Abigail and sighed.

"Are you almost done, Abbie?" He called. "I made a reservation and we're gonna be late!"

Abigail suddenly appeared, hopping into the living room as she simultaneously tried to put her earrings and her heels on.

"This is why you should've told me," She pointed out. "I would've been ready in time."

Kelly stood up and smiled.

"But then it wouldn't have been a surprise."

Abigail rolled her eyes, but returned his smile. She quickly managed to slip her shoes on and stood up, straightening her dress.

"Do I look alright?" She asked, wishing she'd been able to spend a little more time on her hair and make-up.

"You look amazing." He assured her, his eyes dropping to look over what she was wearing. Knowing she was short on time, she'd simply thrown on her trusty little black dress and paired it with bright red heels and accessories. "I love that dress."

"I know," Abigail giggled. "You almost ripped it in your haste to get it off of me last time I wore it."

Kelly smirked at the memory.

"I might end up doing the same thing tonight if you're not careful." He warned her.

"Then we better get this dinner over with while you can still control yourself,"

Kelly chuckled and held out his arm for her to take before leading her out the door.

* * *

"Do you remember the first time we came here?" Kelly asked as they sipped their wine and waited for their meals.

"Of course," Abigail smiled. "This is where you took me on our very first date."

Kelly nodded as a smirk slid onto his face.

"And do remember how I convinced you to go on that date with me?"

Abigail's cheeks flushed a deep red.

"Yes, I do."

"You were so adorable," He teased causing her cheeks to darken even more.

"You're a jerk," She muttered playfully as the couple thought back to how they'd met.

**_December 2006_**

_Abigail shivered in the cold Chicago winter, something she wasn't used to after living in sunny California her whole life, and looked at the small map in her hands, cursing slightly as she realized she couldn't even find her location anymore. Her father had a doctor's appointment that morning and she was supposed to have met him at the clinic twenty minutes ago, but after one too many wrong turns she now had no idea where the clinic was. Hell, she didn't even know where she was._

_With a frustrated sigh, Abigail pulled out her cell phone, hoping to at least be able to call her father and let him know she'd be late, but her string of bad luck seemed to be going strong as she discovered it had died while she was busy getting lost. Cursing for what must have been the hundredth time that day, she did the only thing she could think of and kept walking, but much to her surprise and relief she turned a corner and found herself facing a firehouse. Surely someone there would be able to help and Abigail wasted no time going to investigate._

_As she walked up the wide driveway towards the building she saw a man standing next to one of the trucks._

_"Uh, hey there!" She called out, drawing the man's attention. _

_That's when Abigail noticed how handsome he was. He didn't look much older than her, despite the grey flecks in his otherwise dark hair, and was definitely in great shape. His eyes were what really drew her in though. They were ice blue and as they looked at her with a hint of confusion, she couldn't tear herself away._

_"How can I help you?" He asked, breaking Abigail's trance._

_"I'm lost," She told him suddenly feeling unusually shy._

_"And underdressed," He teased. "It's definitely below zero out there."_

_Abigail smiled and pulled her hoodie tighter around her body._

_"Yeah, I know. I'm new in town and not used to the cold winter," She explained. "That's also probably why I'm so lost."_

_Kelly returned her smile._

_"Alright, where're you trying to get to?"_

_"Northwestern Memorial Hospital," She read off the papers in her hands, worrying slightly as Kelly's eyebrows rose._

_"Are you walking?" She nodded. "Well that's about an hour away."_

_"Shit, are you serious?" Abigail groaned, running a hand through her hair. "I better get going then, thanks." She turned to walk away, but paused. "Uh, can you point me in the right direction?"_

_"It's that way," Kelly said, pointing to the left. "But here, take my coat," He offered, shrugging it off._

_It was tempting, but Abigail shook her head._

_"Thanks, but I'll be fine." She assured him._

_She turned again, but felt a hand on her arm._

_"Walking that far in this weather without a coat will make you sick and I'm guessing you've already been out there for a while," He said as she turned to face him again. "At least let me call you a cab."_

_Abigail sighed._

_"I don't have any money," She confessed, feeling like an idiot. "I was running late and forgot to grab my purse."_

_"It's on me," He blurted out. "What kind of guy would I be if I let you go out there to wander aimlessly through the snow?"_

_"A typical one?" She joked."But really, I'll be fine."_

_"No, I insist," Kelly said firmly, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket._

_Abigail opened her mouth to protest, but before even a word could get out Kelly was speaking to a taxi company and with a sigh, she gave up._

_"Thanks," She mumbled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You really didn't have to do that."_

_"My pleasure," Kelly shrugged._

_An awkward silence settled between them as Abigail waited for the cab. Desperate for it to end, she blurted out the only thing that came to mind._

_"So, you're a firefighter?" She asked, groaning inwardly at what a stupid question that was._

_"Yeah, I am," Kelly grinned proudly. "Lieutenant of squad three."_

_He patted the truck they were standing next to and Abigail raised an eyebrow._

_"Squad three?"_

_"It's the rescue team," He clarified._

_"Oh, so you're the guy who whips out the Jaws of Life when there's a car accident," Abigail smiled, remembering something she'd seen on TV._

_Kelly chuckled._

_"Yeah, exactly." He confirmed before adding jokingly. "And, you know, rescues kittens from trees."_

_Abigail giggled._

_"Awe, how noble."_

_"Yeah, I think so," Kelly grinned. "Anyway, what had you in such a rush this morning that you forgot your purse and I'm guessing your phone?"_

_Abigail sighed, the feeling of idiocy returning._

_"I was supposed to meet my dad for an appointment he had, but I slept in and now that I'm," Abigail checked her watch. "Almost forty-five minutes late, I probably missed it anyway."_

_"I'm sure he'll understand," Kelly assured her._

_"I hope so," She sighed once again as the cab pulled into the driveway. Kelly reached into his pocket and handed Abigail a few bills. "Are you sure?" She asked, feeling guilty._

_"Absolutely."_

_Kelly's tone was firm so Abigail didn't bother with anymore protests._

_"Thanks," She smiled before taking the money and walking to the cab. However, just as she opened the door, a voice stopped her._

_"Wait!" Kelly called to her. "I didn't get your name!"_

_"Abigail," She called back with a smile._

_"I'm Kelly," He replied._

_"Nice to meet you and thanks again!" _

_With that, Abigail slid into the cab, a smile still on her face._

_Three days after meeting Kelly, Abigail found she couldn't get him out of her head. She felt silly for developing such a crush after a ten minute encounter, but there was something about him that drew her in and his eyes were haunting her dreams. She was distracted and constantly spacing out. It was unlike her and she wasn't sure she liked it._

_She desperately wanted to see him again, but short of setting her apartment on fire she didn't know how she could without seeming obvious. That is until she came home that day from her job hunt._

_"Mrs. Miller from next door came by today," Her dad told her._

_"Oh? How's she doing?" Abigail asked, grabbing a can of coke from the fridge._

_"She's fine, but she's going away tonight and was hoping you could stop by a few times over the next few days and check on her cat." He explained. "I assumed it was okay and told her you could."_

_And that was how Abigail found herself sitting in a tree the next day, questioning her sanity._

_"This is insane." She muttered to herself as she tucked the cat treats she'd bought under her arm and scooched across the branch that reached the window of Mrs. Miller's apartment. The same window that had been 'accidently' left open. "And possibly illegal."_

_But it wasn't illegal. Not really. Yes, falsifying a 911 call was illegal, but since this wasn't an emergency she planned to call directly to the fire department. Besides, if everything went according to plan, there would be a cat in a tree, she was just planning to exaggerate how stuck he was._

_Once Abigail had successfully scooched to the window, she began shaking the treats. Just as she had hoped Toby, Mrs. Miller's cat, appeared and she slowly moved backwards, filled with a nervous excitement as he followed. Her plan was working. Once she had moved back to the trunk of the tree, she carefully filled the little bird's nest she had found half buried in the snow that morning with treats before jumping down and quickly pulling out her phone._

_Luckily for Abigail it was a slow day at the firehouse and the receptionist promised someone would be there to help momentarily. Her luck only seemed to grow when a fire truck arrived and the man she'd been desperate to see jumped out._

_"Abigail?" He asked an amused smile on his face._

_"Hey," She said, trying to sound troubled. "I'm so sorry, this is so stupid and I'm sure you have better things to do than save cats from trees, but I remember you saying you it was part of a firefighter's job and I didn't know who else to call. I can't climb high enough to reach him."_

_Abigail pointed up to the cat that, from their distance, appeared to be simply sniffing around the trunk of the tree._

_"It's no big deal," Kelly shrugged. "What's his name?"_

_"Toby," Abigail informed him. "I'm supposed to be watching him for my neighbour and accidentally left the window open..."_

_"Alright, I'll have him down in a jiffy," Kelly assured her before walking to the tree and beginning his climb. _

_Abigail watched him for a moment before flashing an apologetic smile to the men that were standing by the truck. When she turned back to watch Kelly, he had already reached Toby and was carefully tucking him under his arm before climbing back down._

_"Thank you so much!" Abigail grinned, taking the cat from him once he reached the ground._

_"No problem," Kelly said with a smirk. "But next time you don't want a cat in a tree, it's a good idea not to leave cat treats in bird's nests."_

_Abigail's cheeks burned so red that she thought she might actually burst into flames. _

_"Oh god," She muttered. "This is so embarrassing..."_

_"It's cute," Kelly assured her, still smirking. "Just please don't resort to burning down any houses for my attention."_

_Yep, she was definitely going to burst into flames any minute now._

_"I'm such an idiot, I'm so sorry for wasting your time," Abigail babbled, hoping the ground would open and swallow her up. "How can I make it up to you? At least let me pay you back for the cab."_

_"Nah, that's not necessary," Kelly insisted. "But I have been wanting to try this new restaurant in town and haven't been able to find anyone to go with..."_

_Abigail stared at him in disbelief. Was he seriously asking her on a date after she'd just humiliated herself?_

_"Really?" She asked unable to force out any other words._

_"Yeah, how about you make it up to me by going with me tomorrow night?"_

_"That sounds great," Abigail said, grinning so wide she thought her face might split in two. "Just, uh, don't tell the other guys about this..."_

_Kelly chuckled and scratched Toby's head._

_"Your secret's safe with me," He promised before turning to walk away. "I'll pick you up at seven!"_

_Abigail nodded and watched as he got back into the truck before turning to go back inside._

_"I dunno, Toby," She muttered to the cat in her arms. "I think that guy's gonna be trouble."_

"I still haven't told them that you staged the whole thing," Kelly said proudly.

"Good! They'd never let me hear the end of it," She giggled.

"I still think it was cute," Kelly shrugged.

"I have my moments," Abigail said with a smile as she thought back on what she'd said to the cat that day and everything she'd been through with Kelly since. She was right. Kelly Severide was trouble. But she loved every minute of it.

* * *

**Authour's note: Gah, I'm so sorry this took forever to post. Last weekend was super rough and I just didn't feel up to writing what I wanted to be a cute, fluffy chapter and work is crazy at the moment because the only other full-time member of staff is currently off recovering from surgery.**

**I wanted to get into the happy couple's background a little bit though so there you go, hope you like it! :)**

**And thank you so much for the reviews, you guys are amazing. I'm so happy people are liking this story!**


	15. Chapter 15

Abigail was in the grocery store not long after their anniversary when she got the frantic call from Kelly. As usual, a smile appeared on her face at the sight of his name on the screen, but it didn't take long for her to realize something was wrong.

"Hey, baby," She answered as she compared the price of two different brands of cheese.

"Hi," Kelly replied before continuing without taking a breath. "I need you to come over."

"What's wrong?" Abigail asked, her smile quickly fading.

"It's, uh..." Kelly trailed off. "I'll tell you when you get here. Can you just come over?"

"I'm at the store, but I'll be there in like twenty minutes," Abigail informed him as she quickly picked up her pace.

"Thanks,"

Without even so much as a goodbye, Kelly hung up, leaving Abigail confused and concerned.

* * *

When Abigail got to Kelly's apartment, she found him leaning on the kitchen counter, his head hanging down.

"Hey," She said, getting his attention as she threw her purse on a chair. "What's going on?"

He sighed and looked up to meet her eyes.

"Shay's moving out," He muttered.

Abigail eyed him warily as she crossed her arms.

"Why?" She asked, the sympathy she had felt when she first saw how upset he looked quickly fading into suspicion. "What did you do?"

"I lied to her,"

With everything Kelly was going through at the moment, his simple explanation wasn't enough so Abigail pressed a little further.

"About what?"

"You don't wanna know," He assured her. "I just...need some company, someone to take my mind off things."

"I do wanna know," Abigail insisted. "I'm not gonna help you take your mind of something if you won't even tell me what it is."

Kelly looked at Abigail's hard stare and knew she wasn't going to let him get away with brushing past this so, rubbing his neck to ease the dull ache that was growing there, he decided to come clean.

"I told her I wasn't taking those pain killers anymore," He admitted. "But she found the wrapper in the trash from the pack I just finished."

Abigail's stare weakened slightly as she mulled over what he'd said.

"Oh," She mumbled a moment later when she realized Kelly was watching her, waiting for a reply.

"She said that she can't keep our deal to stay out of each other's business so she left, but she didn't need to, I swear. I've got it under control," Kelly continued, trying to judge Abigail's reaction. She just nodded slowly, her eyebrows slightly wrinkled in confusion. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Abigail's voice was quiet as she tried to control the sadness and anger that was slowly bubbling up. "It's just that you lied to me too..."

"What?"

"You lied to me too!" Abigail's voice rose, her anger escalating quickly as Kelly stood in front of her seemingly casual about the whole thing. "You told me you weren't taking the drugs anymore too!"

"I was trying to make it easier for you," Kelly said, trying to justify his actions. "You and Shay, you worry too much. I've got everything under control."

"I'm more worried now!" Abigail argued. "Now that I know that not only is my boyfriend taking drugs, he's lying about it!"

"I'm fine," Kelly insisted. "You're overreacting, just like Shay did."

"I'm not overreacting," She replied, making sure to keep her voice calm. "And neither did Shay. If she doesn't feel she can live with you after she helped you and you still lied to her that's understandable."

Abigail noticed Kelly's jaw clench.

"So what, are you gonna leave again too?"

"No!" She said firmly, but before she could say another word Kelly cut her off.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," He mumbled.

"No, you shouldn't have." Abigail agreed, her tone much harsher than it was before as she made it clear she wasn't just going to let his comment slide this time. The last time he'd used it in an argument, she had been hurt. This time, it just added to her anger. "I get it. I get that I hurt you. I'm the bitch that broke your heart and I'm still not convinced that I deserve a second chance, but if you're going to give me one then it's all or nothing, Kelly. You can't throw it in my face every time you do something to upset me!"

There was a fire in Abigail's eyes as she ranted at him, but his were burning equally as strong as he listened to her.

"Well what do you expect, Abigail?" He questioned, matching her tone. "You ran away last time things got stressful, how am I supposed to know you're not going to do it again?!"

"Because I haven't given you any reason to think I will!" Abigail pointed out. "I'm worried about you! I'm worried and scared because you don't seem to understand how serious this is!"

"I understand!" Kelly groaned. "But I have everything under control!"

"No, you don't! For the love of God, Kelly, stop lying to yourself!"

Tears of frustration pricked her eyes, but Abigail was determined not to let Kelly see.

"I'm not lying to myself, Abigail!" Kelly insisted. "Honestly, I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't!" Her voice cracked as she yelled and as Kelly just stared back at her, unsure of how else he could defend himself, Abigail had enough. "I'm sorry, I need to go."

She turned quickly and snatched her purse up from where she had discarded it earlier. However, she barely made it three steps towards the door when Kelly's voice stopped her.

"See, there you go! Running away again." He practically spat at her.

She immediately spun on her heels desperately fighting to keep her rage in check.

"I'm not running away, I'm going home before I lose it and smack some sense into you," She growled, feeling her eyes quickly begin to fill with tears. Taking a breath to control her emotions, she continued. "I can't stay here with you and watch you bury yourself in denial. Shay's right, you need a wakeup call."

Kelly ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he looked around the apartment as if the answer to all his problems might just appear in his living room. Abigail wasn't willing to wait around though and turned again to continue her dramatic exit. Noticing her movement, Kelly's head snapped back in her direction and he leapt into action.

"Abbie, wait, stop!" He called, running to catch her. She paused and he reached out to grab her hand to stop her from going any farther. "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed, I-I'm scared."

Abigail had known all along that fear was a driving force behind the choices Kelly had been making lately, but hearing him admit it caused a pang of empathy in the pit of her stomach. She was still slightly skeptical at first though. He was a charmer and good at telling her what she wanted to hear, but as she turned to face him and saw the pleading look on his face, her tough exterior melted away almost instantly.

"I know you are," She admitted, trying to keep her tone firm. "And I'm scared for you, but I'm scared by what you're doing to yourself too."

"I know," Kelly mumbled as a feeling of shame washed over him. He had lied to keep Abbie from worrying, but he could see now from the pained look in her eyes and the tear tracks on her cheeks that he hadn't even come close to accomplishing that goal.

"Those drugs are bad, Kelly, and this isn't a problem that you can just cover up and hope it'll go away," She continued. "You need help."

Kelly nodded slowly, finally admitting to himself that she was right. Even if she wasn't, he'd already lost Shay over the whole thing, he wasn't going to lose her too.

"I'll talk to Shay later," He promised. "I'll get her to help me find another way to manage the pain until I can talk to someone about my shoulder."

"You promise?" She asked, silently cursing how childlike she sounded.

"I promise."

Before Kelly could even blink, Abigail's arms were wrapped around his torso as she buried her head in his chest.

"Thank you," She sniffled, unable to fight back the tears of relief that had sprung to her eyes. Kelly just pulled her close, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. A few moments later, once she had composed herself, Abigail pulled back slightly and looked up to meet Kelly's stare. "And about before, I promise I'm not going to run away again. Last time I left to help the person who needed me and now that person's you. I'm not going anywhere."

Kelly smiled and quickly pressed his lips to hers.

"Good," He nodded. "And I'm sorry for bringing it up. I trust you, I do."

Abigail nodded, but wasn't quite ready to move from his arms so she simply pressed her face back against his chest and sighed, relieved that things between them were alright for the time being. However, their embrace was soon interrupted by the sound of Kelly's phone ringing and with a final kiss to the top of Abigail's head, he pulled himself away to answer it.

Once he was gone, Abigail put her purse back on the chair and checked the time before deciding to make them both some lunch. She was hungry and knowing Kelly he'd eat whether he really needed to or not. She had barely had time to get out the bread for a couple of sandwiches though when Kelly came back with a look on his face that made Abigail freeze. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Kelly, what's wrong?" She asked, trying to hide her panic.

"It's, uh, Shay," He answered, voice cracking slightly as he spoke. "She's been in an accident..."


	16. Chapter 16

Kelly was practically halfway out of Abigail's car before she had even pulled into the hospital parking lot and it was for this reason that she had insisted on driving. He had put up a fight at first, but knowing that he wasn't in the right mental state to be behind the wheel of a vehicle and that giving in would let them leave much sooner, he relented much easier than Abigail had anticipated.

Once the car had actually stopped moving, Abigail jumped out and jogged to catch up to Kelly who was walking briskly towards the building. She was surprised though when he paused once he reached the door. She watched as he took a shaky breath; the look on his face was almost enough to break her heart. He looked angry and sad, but the emotion that shook her the most was the absolute terror that he was unable to hide. Shay was his best friend and Abigail knew that he would be a wreck if the worst happened. The fact that they had parted on such bad terms was probably eating him alive as well.

"Hey," She said quietly, carefully moving closer to squeeze his hand. "She's gonna get through this. She's a fighter."

Kelly simply nodded before pulling his hand away and marching through the doors that lead to the emergency room.

* * *

Disaster was the only word that came to mind when Abigail saw what waited for them on the other side of those doors. A sobbing, blood covered Gabriella was talking to the chief and Shay was strapped onto a stretcher as nurses rushed frantically around her, wrapping her in bandages and inserting IVs. The rest of the firehouse all appeared to be present as well, making themselves at home as they all shifted with nervous energy, obviously unable to sit still. After sending Gabby off to get looked at, the chief turned just as Kelly was about to rush after Shay.

"Is that her?" He asked his boss. "Is that Shay?!"

Chief Boden quickly stopped him from going any further.

"Let them do their job," He demanded, but Kelly was persistently trying to wriggle out of his grasp. "Kelly!"

However, the chief's harsh tone did nothing to calm the Lieutenant.

"I wanna see her!"

Abigail felt her chest tighten at the desperation in his voice, but she stood back, knowing that if anyone could talk some sense into her boyfriend it would be Boden.

"Right now there is nothing you can do!"

His voice was firm and his words seemed to finally sink in. Kelly stopped struggling and sighed helplessly.

"What are they doing to her?" He asked. "She's got a head injury?" His voice cracked slightly and Abigail couldn't hold back anymore, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. She knew she wasn't helping much, but it was the least she could do and it made her feel better. "How bad is it?"

The chief shrugged.

"I don't know," He admitted.

Kelly nodded briefly, but simply tightened his grip on Abigail's hand as he silently stared over Boden's shoulder. As Abigail peered up at him and noticed the tears in his eyes, she suddenly shared his sense of helplessness, wishing there was something, anything, she could do to help him.

* * *

Time seemed to pass painstakingly slow as the group sat in the waiting room, anxious to hear any news on Shay. Severide was pacing as Abigail curled up on a chair watching him.

"Hey," She finally spoke up. Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, but it was enough to grab his attention. "Come sit for a bit?"

She patted the seat beside her and Kelly was about to refuse, but he noticed the pained look in her eyes and nodded.

"You okay?" He asked as he sat next to her and put a hand on her knee.

"Just worried," Abigail confessed.

"About Shay?"

"Yeah," She put her hand on top of his. "And you."

"Me?" He asked, sounding surprised. "Why?"

"Because I love you," She reminded him. "I don't like seeing you like this."

"I'm fine," He assured her, forcing a smile. "Just worried too."

"I know," Abigail mumbled before leaning over and gently pressing her lips against his. "But she'll get through this. She's not gonna let you off the hook that easy."

To Abigail's surprise a quiet chuckle fell from Kelly's lips.

"Yeah, it would be just like Shay to cheat death just to make sure I do what she wants."

Abigail smiled and nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. She felt Kelly's shoulders moved as he sighed before she felt his lips press against the top of her head.

* * *

As Abigail predicted, Shay wasn't quite ready to get off Kelly's back just yet and pulled through. She was kept in ICU for a while, but a couple of days later she was allowed visitors and Kelly was practically bursting at the seams with eagerness. Abigail picked him up right after his shift and drove the two of them straight to the hospital.

Something was bothering her though. Kelly was happy and that was perfectly understandable, but his excitement was a bit much. He was acting as if they were going to pick up a cheque from a big lottery win, not going to a hospital to see his friend that may or may not even be in good enough condition to hold a conversation with him. She let it slide as he rambled away on the drive, but as he practically bounced through the parking lot, she couldn't bite her tongue any longer.

"Kelly, what's going on?" She asked, stopping suddenly just before they made it to the entrance.

"What do you mean?" He asked, turning towards her with a grin on his face.

That was when she noticed his eyes, more specifically his tiny little pupils and everything started to click.

"Are you high?!" She kept her voice low so no one would overhear, but her harsh tone clearly conveyed her disapproval.

"No! I, uh, well, just..." Kelly stumbled over his words and as he met Abigail's glare, he realized he wouldn't get away with this. "I took one of my pain meds, yeah."

"Kelly! You said you weren't going to do that anymore!"

"I know, and I didn't lie!" He promised. "I was going to talk to Shay, I **am** going to talk to Shay, but I can't do that right now obviously and all the stress has made my shoulder really start acting up!"

"Then talk to Dawson," Abigail suggested through clenched teeth.

"What?" Kelly's eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion.

"Talk to Dawson," She repeated. "She's a paramedic too, she can help you figure out how else to deal with the pain just as well as Shay can."

"But she doesn't know!" Kelly pointed out, the happiness completely drained from his face.

"Then explain," Abigail demanded. "Please."

Kelly was about to argue when he noticed how glassy Abigail's eyes had become. She was about to cry and he was the reason. Again. He sighed and his shoulders slumped forward, his defensive stance melting into one of defeat.

"Yeah, okay." He agreed.

Abigail nodded, but the annoyance over the fact that he was still taking drugs was stronger than the relief that she had won and she simply walked right past him and into the hospital.

* * *

**Authour's note: I am so sorry that it took me forever to post this and that's its short and a total filler. I've fighting some really bad anxiety lately and I'm not used to dealing with anything like this so it's really thrown me for a loop. Since I live alone, really far away from my family I'm stuck coping all by myself and even though I'm spending more time at home which should mean more time to write and post, I've not felt like I'm in the right head space to write the quality of chapters that you guys deserve to read (as you can probably tell from this one...). The second half of this chapter will hopefully be done soon and I promise there are exciting things to come.**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and I promise I won't give up on this story anytime soon so try not to lose faith if I'm posting a little less frequently :)**


	17. Chapter 17

When they got to Shay's room, Dawson was already sitting on the bed. Kelly rushed over, probably interrupting whatever conversation was going on, but neither seemed to mind too much. Abigail, however, hung back, letting Kelly have a moment with Shay and as she observed the trio, she noticed a definite change in Gabby's welcoming mood once Kelly made eye contact with her. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment before mumbling a quick goodbye, grabbing her coat from the chair next to Abigail and leaving the room.

Knowing this was the perfect opportunity for Kelly to discuss what he needed to with Dawson without the concern of anyone from the firehouse overhearing, she let him chat with Shay for a few more moments before clearing her throat. Both Kelly and Shay looked over at her so with a sigh, she not-so-subtlety gestured out the door with her head. Kelly immediately caught onto what she meant and nodded before placing a quick kiss on Shay's head and following the other paramedic.

That was when the awkwardness set in. Shay had managed to be civil whenever was absolutely necessary, but now that she was already feeling under the weather, Abigail had a feeling that Shay wouldn't be up for niceties.

"Uh, hey," She said quietly, moving a little closer to the bed. "I'm glad you're okay. You really scared everyone for a while there."

To Abigail's surprise, Shay offered her a smile.

"Thanks," She replied before letting the awkward silence settle between them again.

Abigail picked at the sleeve of her sweater for a moment, part of her wanting to run after Kelly already. The bigger part of her knew that she needed to give him and Dawson more time though so she decided to use her quality time with Shay in at least a somewhat productive manner.

"Look," She started before letting out a sigh. "I know you hate me after what I did, and I get that. Really. I don't like me much either," She smiled slightly before continuing. "But I really do love Kelly. I always did and leaving was a mistake. But Kelly has managed to forgive me and you're his best friend, it would mean a lot to me if you could too. Or at least think about it."

Shay looked down at her hands and was quiet for a moment as Abigail waited with baited breath.

"I don't hate you," Shay confessed. "I was mad and I still don't know how Kelly can trust you so easily, but I don't hate you."

Abigail let out the breath she was holding.

"Good, that's good," She smiled as Shay nodded. "And, I also just wanna say thank you."

"For what?" Shay asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Helping Kelly with his injury and the drugs," Abigail explained. "Helping him deal with the pain and trying to help him quit when he needed to."

Shay looked down.

"I shouldn't have given him the pain killers in the first place," She admitted. "Leaving was just me fixing a mistake."

"Leaving was the wakeup call Kelly needed," Abigail insisted. "He was a mess afterwards. He'd rather lose the drugs than lose you."

"So he's gonna quit?" She asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"I'm still working on it," Abigail admitted. "But it's promising so far. He's talking to Dawson at the moment, finding a way to cope with quitting."

Shay nodded.

"Good," She said, a slight smile on her lips.

Another awkward silence settled between them, but before it became unbearable Kelly appeared in the doorway.

"Let's go," He practically growled at Abigail before storming away without so much as a glance in Shay's direction.

Abigail raised an eyebrow at his strange behaviour, but followed quickly after muttering a quick "get well soon" to Shay.

* * *

"Kelly!" Abigail shouted as she jogged across the parking lot to catch up to her boyfriend. "Kelly, wait up!" Her request was ignored, but Kelly was stuck once he got to the car considering Abigail was the one with the keys. "What the hell is the matter with you?" She asked, trying to catch her breath once she caught up.

"Nothing," He insisted, gesturing for her to unlock the car.

"I know you better than that, Kelly," Abigail reminded him as she pulled the keys from her purse. "If nothing was the matter you wouldn't have stormed out of the hospital."

The keys were in her hand, but she simply crossed her arms, waiting for his response. Realizing he was only to get what he wanted if he gave her the answers she wanted, he sighed.

"I talked to Dawson," He muttered.

"And?"

"And she got all accusatory!" He told her, clenching his fists. "So I got defensive."

"And no problems were resolved," Abigail finished for him.

"Yeah, your miracle cure wasn't found."

"It's not **my** miracle cure," Abigail groaned. "I'm not looking for a miracle cure. I just want you to get better."

"I know," Kelly took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'll talk to her again at the station."

Abigail nodded.

"Okay," She uncrossed her arms and placed a quick kiss on Kelly's cheek before unlocking the car.

* * *

**Authour's note: **Sorry doesn't even begin to cut it, but I am sorry. Its taken me far too long to post this and its not my best work. However, the things that I mentioned in my last authour's note got worse and then they got better, but then they got a lot worse. I'm not in a good place so this was rushed and poorly editted. It will get better soon. Sorry and thanks for the undeserved support.


End file.
